injure

Everyday

1. To injure means to hurt a person or an animal so that part of the body is damaged, for example in an accident or a fall. tree →
2. To injure someone's feelings or pride means to upset them. tree →

In the lessons

In safety lessons, many rules exist so that nobody gets injured: walk, don't run, near the pool; wear helmets; tidy up so nobody trips. In first aid, an injured person should be kept still and warm, and you should get an adult or call emergency services (999 UK/Ireland, 911 USA/Canada, 000 Australia, 111 New Zealand). In news and stories, «injured» tells the reader someone was hurt. Phrases: «badly injured», «seriously injured», «injured in an accident», «injure yourself».

Examples

• He injured his knee playing football. tree →
• Be careful not to injure yourself on the trampoline. tree →
• Two people were injured in the car crash. tree →
• The injured bird could not fly. tree →
• Running by the pool can injure you if you slip. tree →
• She was injured but not badly. tree →
• The rescue team carried the injured climber down the mountain. tree →
• His pride was injured when he lost. tree →
• But his father answered: ‘Both your brothers have injured themselves. tree →

Note

Past: «injured». Noun: «injury, injuries»; adjective «injured». «Injure» is used for living things; for objects say «damage». It is a bit more formal than «hurt»: «hurt your leg» = «injure your leg».