Find Synonyms

hurtful Synonyms

Another word for hurtful

Choosing another word for hurtful depends on context, so the 18 synonyms and similar words below are separated across 2 exact definitions and ranked by match strength.
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• adjective (Context 1)

Causing emotional distress, grief, or wounded feelings; unkind or cruel.

Usage Example

"She immediately apologized after realizing how unkind her thoughtless comment had been."

Strongest
unkind
cruel
wounding
Strong
cutting
spiteful
malicious
mean
upsetting
distressing
callous

• adjective (Context 2)

Causing physical injury, material damage, or general detriment.

Usage Example

"Prolonged exposure to loud industrial noise can be harmful to delicate hearing organs."

Strongest
harmful
injurious
damaging
Strong
detrimental
deleterious
destructive
noxious
pernicious

Opposites of hurtful

The opposite of hurtful shifts depending on context. Common opposites include:

beneficial
kind
harmless
helpful
considerate
compassionate
comforting
supportive
See all opposites of hurtful

• Nearby Words

hurriedness
hurry
hurt
hurtful
hurtfully
hurtfulness
hurtle

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Synonyms for Hurtful. In Wordmom Thesaurus. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/synonyms/hurtful
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