ˈinjə(r) transitive verb
( injured ; injured ; injuring -j(ə)riŋ ; injures )
Etymology: back-formation from injury (I)
1.
a. : to do an injustice to : wrong , offend
the injured husband sued for divorce
b. : to harm, impair, or tarnish the standing of (as a reputation or other intangible quality or asset)
injure his authority — H.J.Laski
injure your prospects — Thomas Hardy
c. : to give pain to (the sensibilities or feelings)
injure a man's pride
2.
a. : to inflict bodily hurt on
injured by a falling brick
b. : to impair the soundness of
injure your health
c. : to inflict material damage or loss on
many houses were injured by the storm
this tax will injure all business
Synonyms:
harm , hurt , damage , impair , mar , spoil : injure implies the doing of an injustice to, or a wronging of, someone, especially intentionally; it implies also an inflicting upon someone of anything detrimental to looks, health, comfort, success
injure a man's reputation by slander
injure a shoulder in a football game
injure a friendship by resentment
harm stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss
harm a dog by overfeeding it
bitterness among the elders must not be permitted to harm or wound the innocent children of either race — Beverly Smith
harm one's country by careless talk in wartime
hurt implies the inflicting of a wound upon something (as the body, the feelings, or the commonwealth) capable of sustaining an injury
seriously hurt in a landing under shore fire
hurt a man's pride by belittling his accomplishments
hurt the state by publicizing its rare and petty political feuds
damage implies injury resulting in loss of value, completeness, efficiency, function
furniture damaged by careless handling by movers
an eye damaged by strain under bad light
damage a motor by overheating it
impair suggests a making less complete or efficient as by deterioration or diminution
her excitement impaired her power of listening — Willa Cather
beauty impaired by age
labor with the hands or at the desk distorts or impairs the body — G.L.Dickinson
individual rights should not be impaired without good reason
mar implies an injury that makes less perfect
a case of smallpox which marred his face for life — Time
his intellect, which was amazingly spotty, marred by great gaps — Norman Mailer
a life of drudgery disfigures the body and mars and enervates the soul — G.L.Dickinson
spoil in this connection suggests not only impairment or marring but usually destruction or ruin
they had the long Carroll upper lip that spoiled their looks a bit — Mary Deasy
few streams and lakes which were clear and un spoiled by the works of man — Alexander MacDonald
a great novel spoiled by hasty (and lazy) composition — H.J.Laski