hurtful

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“That was the most hurtful thing — I don’t even know if that’s the word,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Of course, you cannot unhear hurtful comments, but you can prevent them from impacting your performance.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 28, 2026

"That's not the same as occasionally losing your temper with your child or saying something hurtful in the heat of the moment. It's something that is sustained over time," he says.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

You need to say that you will do whatever it takes to heal the specific ways that you have been hurtful.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

In the sound of the drums I understood a vast pervading doom; but in the expectant silences between, my own disaster loomed larger, more consequent and more hurtful.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya