hurt one's feelings — to upset someone emotionally; to make someone feel sad, offended, or disappointed
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: to upset someone emotionally; to make someone feel sad, offended, or disappointed
Pronunciation (IPA): /hɜːrt wʌnz ˈfiːlɪŋz/
Example Sentences
- My mom's cooking critique really hurt my feelings, especially since I spent three hours making dinner.
- He tends to hurt people's feelings without realizing it because he's too blunt.
- I was worried about hurting her feelings, so I told a white lie about liking her new haircut.
hurt one's feelings
NOUN[/hɜːrt wʌnz ˈfiːlɪŋz/]
to upset someone emotionally; to make someone feel sad, offended, or disappointed
His careless joke really hurt her feelings at the dinner table.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Hurt derives from Old French hurter meaning 'to collide or strike,' while feeling originates from Old English felan meaning 'to touch or perceive.' The phrase emerged as the physical sense of collision metaphorically extended to emotional injury, creating the idiomatic expression for causing emotional distress.
Breakdown
hurt (to cause pain, from Old French hurter: to strike) + one's (possessive pronoun indicating the subject) + feelings (emotional states, from Old English felan: to touch/sense). The compound phrase combines physical damage imagery with emotional perception.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My mom's cooking critique really hurt my feelings, especially since I spent three hours making dinner.”
“He tends to hurt people's feelings without realizing it because he's too blunt.”
“I was worried about hurting her feelings, so I told a white lie about liking her new haircut.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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