Injure vs. Wound
Both verbs are concerned with causing physical damage but they indicate different kinds of damage and also differ grammatically. Follow the lesson for more.
Both 'injure' and 'wound' mean to inflict physical damage or harm to someone. However, 'injure' is mostly concerned with damage from accidents, while 'wound' is often result of a deliberate action intended to hurt someone. This lesson will further discuss the differences between these two verbs.
Accidental vs. Intentional
'Injure' is commonly used to describe harm or damage resulting from accidents, mishaps, or unintended incidents. It can encompass a wide range of injuries, from minor to severe. 'Wound', on the other hand, often refers to damage in the form of a cut or puncture in the skin caused by a bullet or knife that leads to bleeding. It is commonly used in the context of battles, conflicts, or deliberate attacks where the intent is to cause injury. 'Wound' typically implies a more serious damage compared to injury. Here are some example sentences:
The car accident
She
The soldier was
The attacker
Grammatical Difference
'Injure' is sometimes used as a reflexive verb, meaning its object is the same as its subject. In these cases, 'injure' implies that someone accidentally hurt themselves. 'Wound' is not used in reflexive form as it typically implies an intentional and deliberate act. 'Wound' it often (not always) used in the passive voice to highlight the person or thing that has been injured rather than on the entity causing the injury. Take a look at the examples:
He
'Injure' is commonly used reflexively.
The deer was
'Wound' is often used passively.