really hurt

Meanings

1. 1verbintransitive

   to cause strong physical pain.

   Grammar: No object: the thing that hurts is the subject, as in 'My knee really hurts'.

   Patterns

   • something really hurts
   • it really hurts

   My back really hurts after that long drive.

   She said her throat really hurt when she swallowed.

   It really hurts when I press here.

2. 2verbtransitive

   to cause someone strong emotional pain or upset.

   Grammar: Takes a person as object: 'His words really hurt me'.

   Patterns

   • something really hurts someone
   • it really hurts someone to do something

   What you said really hurt her.

   It really hurt me to hear that they had moved away.

   He pretended not to care, but the criticism really hurt.

3. 3verbintransitive

   to feel strong pain, especially in a part of the body.

   Grammar: Used about a person or body part: 'I really hurt all over'.

   Patterns

   • someone really hurts
   • really hurt all over

   After the race, I really hurt all over.

   His arm really hurt for days after the fall.

Word forms

Common combinations

really hurt someone's feelings

I did not mean to really hurt his feelings.

really hurt badly

She fell and really hurt badly.

it really hurts to do something

It really hurts to bend my knee.

really hurt my back

Lifting that box really hurt my back.

Synonyms and how they differ

ache

Describes a continuous, dull pain rather than a sharp one, and is less strong than 'really hurt'.

sting

Used for a sharp, burning pain, often on the skin, and is usually less intense than 'really hurt'.

Opposites

Word family

hurtful adjective

Causing emotional pain, as in a hurtful remark.

hurt noun

Emotional pain or harm, as in 'the hurt of being left out'.

Commonly confused: really hurt or harm?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “really hurt”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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