Meaning & use
injuries
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“injuries” is a form of “injury”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountable
Physical harm done to a person's or animal's body.
Grammar: Countable: use 'an injury' for one, 'injuries' for more than one.
Patterns
- suffer an injury
- serious injuries
- injuries to something
The driver suffered serious injuries in the crash.
She has recovered from her injuries and is back at work.
Sports injuries are common among young athletes.
nouncountableformal
Damage done to someone's feelings, reputation, or rights.
Grammar: Often used in legal or formal contexts: 'injury to reputation'.
Patterns
- injury to something
- emotional injuries
The scandal caused lasting injury to his reputation.
She claimed emotional injury after the unfair dismissal.
Word forms
| singular | injury |
|---|
Common combinations
- suffer injuries
- Two passengers suffered minor injuries.
- serious injuries
- He was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
- head injuries
- Cyclists should wear helmets to prevent head injuries.
- recover from injuries
- It took him months to recover from his injuries.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wound
- A wound is usually a cut or tear in the skin, while an injury can be any kind of physical harm.
- harm
- Harm is a broader word for damage or hurt, not always physical.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: injuries or insult?
injuries vs insult
An insult is a rude remark, not physical harm.
Practice
The player missed the match because of a knee ______.
Choose one answer.
After 'a knee' we need the singular noun 'injury'. 'Injuries' is plural and would need 'knee injuries'; 'injure' is a verb and 'injured' is an adjective or past tense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “injuries”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.