What Is The Past Tense Of Hurt?
The past tense of “hurt” is “hurt.” The past participle of it is also hurt. Hurt is an irregular verb and does not follow the pattern of adding “-ed” to form the past tense.
You can check out the table below to get more verb conjugations of hurt:
| Base/Infinitive Form (V1) | hurt |
| Present Form/3rd Person/Singular Form | hurts |
| Past Simple Tense (V2) | hurt |
| Past Participle Form (V3) | hurt |
| Present Participle/Gerund | hurting |
How To Pronounce Hurt Correctly?
Both the present tense and the past tense of “hurt” are spelled the same way.
In the British accent, hurt is pronounced as /hɜːt/. In the American accent, it’s pronounced as /hɜːrt/.
Check out the following table for more details:
| Verb Forms | Pronunciation | |
| British English language | American English language | |
| hurt | /hɜːt/ | /hɜːrt/ |
| hurt
(V2) |
/hɜːt/ | /hɜːrt/ |
| hurt
(V3) |
/hɜːt/ | /hɜːrt/ |
| hurting | /ˈhɜːtɪŋ/ | /ˈhɜːrtɪŋ/ |
How to say hurt correctly? Check out this video:
How to say hurting:
What Are The Definitions Of Hurt? How To Use It?
You can use the past tense of hurt when talking about an action that happened and was completed in the past. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the verb hurt has 5 meanings:
- To cause physical pain or injury.
Example 1: Last night, he hurt his ankle while running in the park.
Example 2: Yesterday, a car accident hurt several people and caused significant injuries.
- To feel or suffer from physical or emotional pain
Example 1: After the intense workout, my muscles hurt all over.
Example 2: She hurt deeply when her best friend betrayed her trust.
- To make someone upset or unhappy.
Example 1: His harsh words hurt her feelings during their argument last night.
Example 2: The rejection letter hurt his self-confidence, but he regained his composure to apply to another company.
- To have a bad/adverse effect on someone/something
Example 1: The economic downturn hurt the company’s profits last year.
Example 2: The lack of rain hurt the crops, leading to a poor harvest.
- (Be hurting for something) To be in a bad time or situation because you need something.
Example 1: After losing his job, he was hurting for money to pay his bills.
Example 2: She was hurting for support when her family was far away during a difficult time.
Exercises
FAQs
What Are Some Common Idioms Of “Hurt”?
- “Hit someone where it hurts:” To target or attack someone in a sensitive or vulnerable area, physically or emotionally, to cause pain or discomfort.
Example: He hits her where it hurts during the argument by bringing up her past mistakes. (See the past tense of hit here)
- “It will not hurt (someone/something):” To say that someone should do something as it will not cause harm, damage, or negative consequences.
Example: Don’t worry. Taking a short break will not hurt your chances of finishing the project on time.
- “To not hurt a fly:” To describe someone gentle, kind, or non-violent, to the extent that they would never harm or hurt others.
Example: Sarah wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone intentionally hurt another person.
Can We Use “Hurt” As A Noun?
Yes. Hurt can be used as an uncountable or a countable noun. It refers to a feeling of unhappiness as someone has been unkind to someone.
Example 1: His heart was filled with old hurts that he carried from past relationships, making it difficult for him to trust again.
Example 2: The singer poured her hurts into her music, using her lyrics to express the pain she felt from the unkind words of her critics.
Is “Hurt” An Adjective?
Yes. Hurt can also be used as an adjective with the following meanings:
- Physically injured or experiencing pain.
Example 1: The hiker returned with a hurt leg after slipping on a steep trail. (See the past tense of slip here)
Example 2: Despite his hurt ankle, he managed to finish the marathon.
- Feeling upset or offended.
Example 1: Mary feels hurt when she sees her photo blacked out.
Example 2: His hurt pride prevents him from accepting constructive criticism.
His name is Benjamin Essek – The founder of Grammar Wiki. He is an English native speaker and has joined many English classes, learning communities to support other people with this common language as well.