- 1an injury to part of the body, especially one in which a hole is made in the skin using a weapon a leg/head, etc. wound a bullet/knife/gunshot/stab wound an old war wound The nurse cleaned the wound. The wound healed slowly. He died from the wounds he had received to his chest. see flesh wound Thesaurusinjure
- wound
- hurt
- bruise
- sprain
- pull
- strain
- injure to harm yourself or someone else physically, especially in an accident:He injured his knee playing hockey. Three people were injured in the crash.
- wound [often passive] (somewhat formal) to injure part of the body, especially by making a hole in the skin using a weapon:Two people were killed and dozens more wounded in the attack. Wound is often used to talk about people being hurt in war or in other attacks which affect a lot of people.
- hurt (somewhat informal) to cause physical pain to someone or yourself; to injure someone or yourself:Did you hurt yourself?
- You can hurt or injure a part of the body in an accident. Hurt emphasizes the physical pain caused;injure emphasizes that the part of the body has been damaged in some way.
- bruise to make a blue, brown, or purple mark (= a bruise) appear on the skin after someone has fallen or been hit; to develop a bruise
- sprain to injure part of your body, especially your ankle, wrist, or knee, by suddenly bending it in an awkward way, causing pain and swelling
- pull to damage a muscle, etc., by using too much force
- strain to injure yourself or part of your body by making it work too hard:Don't strain your eyes by reading in poor light.
- to injure/hurt/strain yourself
- to injure/hurt/pull/strain a muscle
- to injure/hurt/sprain your ankle/knee/wrist
- to injure/hurt/strain your back/shoulder/eyes
- to injure/hurt your spine/neck
- to be badly/severely/slightly injured/wounded/hurt/bruised/sprained
- have a fall/an injury
- receive/suffer/sustain a serious injury/a hairline fracture/a gunshot wound/a concussion/whiplash injuries
- hurt/injure your ankle/back/leg
- damage the brain/an ankle ligament/your liver/the optic nerve/the skin
- pull/strain/tear a hamstring/ligament/muscle/tendon
- sprain/twist your ankle/wrist
- break a bone/your collarbone/your leg/three ribs
- fracture/crack your skull
- break/chip/knock out/lose a tooth
- burst/perforate your eardrum
- dislocate your finger/hip/jaw/shoulder/elbow
- bruise/cut/graze your arm/knee/shoulder
- burn/scald yourself/your tongue
- bang/bump/hit your elbow/head/knee (on/against something)
- treat somebody for burns/a head injury/a stab wound
- examine/clean/dress/bandage/treat a bullet wound
- repair a damaged/torn ligament/tendon/cartilage
- amputate/cut off an arm/a finger/a foot/a leg/a limb
- put on (formal) apply/take off a Band-Aid™/a sterile dressing/a bandage
- need/require/put in/get/take out stitches
- put on/rub on (formal) apply cream/ointment/lotion
- have/receive/undergo physical therapy
- 2mental or emotional pain caused by something unpleasant that has been said or done to you After a serious argument, it can take some time for the wounds to heal. Seeing him again opened up old wounds. Idioms
to spend time trying to get your strength or confidence back after a defeat or disappointment Leeds are still licking their wounds after their humiliating defeat by Grimsby.
to remind someone of something unpleasant that happened or existed in the past His comments have served only to reopen old wounds.
to make a difficult experience even more difficult for someone
Check pronunciation: wound