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What is the difference between harm and hurt?

harm | hurt |

As nouns the difference between harm and hurt

is that harm is injury; hurt; damage; detriment; misfortune while hurt is an emotional or psychological hurt (humiliation or bad experience.

As verbs the difference between harm and hurt

is that harm is to cause injury to another; to hurt; to cause damage to something while hurt is to be painful.

As an adjective hurt is

wounded, physically injured.

harm

English

(wikipedia harm)

Noun

(en noun)
  • Injury; hurt; damage; detriment; misfortune.
  • * , chapter=13
    • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them. Soft heartedness caused more harm than good.}}
  • That which causes injury, damage, or loss.
  • * (William Shakespeare)
    • We, ignorant of ourselves, / Beg often our own harms .

    Usage notes

    * Adjectives often applied to "harm": bodily, physical, environmental, emotional, financial, serious, irreparable, potential, long-term, short-term, permanent, lasting, material, substantial.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cause injury to another; to hurt; to cause damage to something.

    • Derived terms

    * do no harm * harmer * harmless * harm's way * self-harm * unharmed

    Anagrams

    * ----

    hurt

    English

    Verb

  • To be painful.
    • Does your leg still hurt ? / It is starting to feel better.
  • To cause (a creature) physical pain and/or injury.
    • If anybody hurts my little brother I will get upset.
  • To cause (somebody) emotional pain.
  • To undermine, impede, or damage.
    • This latest gaffe hurts the MP's reelection prospects still further.

    Synonyms

    * wound, injure

    Derived terms

    * wouldn't hurt a fly

    See also

    * (l)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Wounded, physically injured.
  • Pained.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • An emotional or psychological hurt (humiliation or bad experience)
  • * How to overcome old hurts of the past
  • (archaic) A bodily injury causing pain; a wound or bruise.
  • * 1605 , Shakespeare, King Lear vii
    • I have received a hurt .
  • * John Locke
    • The pains of sickness and hurts all men feel.
  • (archaic) injury; damage; detriment; harm
  • * Shakespeare
    • Thou dost me yet but little hurt .
  • (heraldiccharge) A roundel azure (blue circular spot).
  • (engineering) A band on a trip-hammer helve, bearing the trunnions.
  • A husk.

    • Related terms

    * hurty

    References

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words English ergative verbs English irregular verbs English verbs with base form identical to past participle ----