How Do You Spell HURTFUL?

Pronunciation: [hˈɜːtfə͡l] (IPA)

The word "hurtful" is spelled with a "u" after the letter "r". This sound can be represented phonetically with the IPA symbol /ɜːr/ which represents a vowel sound that is similar to the "ir" in "bird". The "f" at the end of the word is pronounced with the voiceless labiodental fricative sound represented by the IPA symbol /f/. Overall, the phonetic transcription for "hurtful" is /ˈhɜːrtfəl/. This word means causing emotional pain or injury to someone.

HURTFUL Meaning and Definition

  1. Hurtful is an adjective that describes something that causes emotional or physical pain to someone. It refers to actions, words, or behaviors that are intended to harm or cause distress to another person. These actions can be deliberate or unintentional, but their impact is generally negative and hurtful to the recipient.

    When someone engages in hurtful behavior, they disregard the well-being and feelings of others. Hurtful actions can take various forms, such as insults, verbal abuse, physical harm, or the betrayal of trust. Hurtful words can be demeaning, cruel, offensive, or spiteful, intentionally designed to inflict pain or anguish.

    The consequences of such behavior can be long-lasting, as it can lead to lowered self-esteem, emotional scars, damaged relationships, or even physical injuries. Hurtful actions can deeply affect a person's mental and emotional state, causing sadness, anger, resentment, or feelings of worthlessness.

    It is important to be mindful of the impact our words and actions can have on others, striving to treat people with kindness, respect, and empathy. Understanding the concept of hurtfulness can help individuals recognize the consequences of their behavior and promote more positive and supportive interactions with others.

  2. Injurious; harmful.

    A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

  3. Injurious; pernicious; occasioning loss or injury.

    Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Top Common Misspellings for HURTFUL *

* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.

Other Common Misspellings for HURTFUL

Etymology of HURTFUL

The word "hurtful" is derived from the combination of two Old English words: "hyrt" and "ful".

The Old English word "hyrt" meant "to injure" or "to harm". It can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic root word "hurtaz", which had a similar meaning. This root word is also related to the Old Norse word "hurt", meaning "an injury" or "a wound".

The suffix "ful" in Old English meant "full of" or "characterized by". It comes from the Proto-Germanic word "fullaz", meaning "full" or "abundant".

Over time, the two Old English words "hyrt" and "ful" were combined to form the word "hurtful", which originally meant "full of harm" or "causing injury".

Similar spelling words for HURTFUL

Infographic

Add the infographic to your website: