injure
gb/ˈɪnd͡ʒɚ/ us/ˈɪnd͡ʒɚ/
B1
English
~ 3000
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
Cause harm to body
To hurt a person or animal's body and cause pain or damage.
Usage pattern:
to injure [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'injure' with 'hurt'. 'Hurt' is more informal and common in speech, while 'injure' is often used in news or formal contexts, especially for accidents and sports.
Synonyms
hurt (More general and common in everyday speech; can also refer to emotional pain.)
|
wound (Often used for injuries involving cuts or penetration of the skin, especially in military or violent contexts.)
Antonyms
heal (Refers to the process of becoming healthy again after injury.)
|
protect (Means to keep someone or something safe from harm.)
Collocations
seriously injure
|injure badly
|injure a player
|injure someone
|injure in an accident
Themes
health
|sports
|accidents
|body
|animals
Examples
- She injured her ankle while jogging.
- Two passengers were injured in the car crash.
- The player was injured during the match and had to leave the field.
- He injured his hand while cooking dinner.
- Several people were injured when the bus slipped on ice.
Learner examples
- I injured my leg playing football.
- He injured his arm at work.
- She injured her foot when she fell.
- The man injured his back lifting a heavy box.
- They injured their hands in the accident.
Verb
formal
B2
action
2
Cause harm to reputation or rights
To harm how people see someone, hurt their feelings, or damage their legal rights.
Usage pattern:
to injure [someone's reputation/feelings/rights]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that 'injure' can be used for non-physical harm, especially in formal or legal contexts.
Synonyms
damage (Broad term for causing harm to something; less formal than 'injure' in legal contexts.)
|
harm (General term for causing injury or damage; can be physical or nonphysical.)
Antonyms
restore (To bring back to a good condition or status after harm.)
|
respect (To show regard for someone's rights or feelings instead of harming them.)
Collocations
injure someone's reputation
|injure feelings
|injure legal rights
Themes
law
|emotions
|social
|relationships
|communication
Examples
- The article injured his reputation beyond repair.
- Such comments can injure a child's self-esteem.
- The policy changes may injure the rights of small business owners.
- She sued the newspaper for injuring her good name.
- False accusations can injure trust between friends.
Learner examples
- The story injured his name.
- Her words injured his feelings.
- The law may injure workers' rights.
- The rumor injured her good name.
- The comment injured their friendship.
Grammar
Dictionary form
injure
IPA
GB/ˈɪnd͡ʒɚ/
US/ˈɪnd͡ʒɚ/
Syllables & stress
in - jure (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (in)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: injure
- 3rd Person Singular: injures
- Present Participle: injuring
- Past: injured
Word family
Expressions
injured party
1/ˈɪnd͡ʒɚd pˈɑɹti/
fixed phrase
formal
Person who suffered harm
A person who has been hurt or harmed by someone else's actions.
Examples
- The injured party filed a lawsuit against the company.
- Compensation will be given to the injured party.
injured reserve
1/ˈɪnd͡ʒɚd ɹɪzˈɚv/
fixed phrase
List of sidelined players
A list of players on a sports team who cannot play because they are hurt.
Examples
- He was placed on the injured reserve after breaking his leg.
- The team has three players on injured reserve this season.