What does "wound" mean?
An injury, such as a cut, stab, or tear, to a (usually external) part of the body.
Wound
/wyːnd/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An injury, such as a cut, stab, or tear, to a (usually external) part of the body.
- Grammar: wound is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: injury, lesion, abrade, abrasion.
- Useful contrasts: comfort, console, cure.
- Usage evidence: The nurse wound my leg with a bandage.
How to use "wound"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wound" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "wound" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "wound" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wound" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "wound" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "injury" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "wound", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An injury, such as a cut, stab, or tear, to a (usually external) part of the body.
"The visitors were without Wayne Rooney after he suffered a head wound in training, which also keeps him out of England's World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine."
- 2 the act of inflicting a wound wordnet
- 3 A hurt to a person's feelings, reputation, prospects, etc. figuratively
"It took a long time to get over the wound of that insult."
- 4 a casualty to military personnel resulting from combat wordnet
- 5 An injury to a person by which the skin is divided or its continuity broken.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 a figurative injury (to your feelings or pride) wordnet
- 7 an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin) wordnet
Verb
- 1 To hurt or injure (someone) by cutting, piercing, or tearing the skin. transitive
"The police officer wounded the suspect during the fight that ensued."
- 2 simple past and past participle of wind form-of, participle, past
"“[…] Captain Markam had been found lying half-insensible, gagged and bound, on the floor of the sitting-room, his hands and feet tightly pinioned, and a woollen comforter wound closely round his mouth and neck ; whilst Mrs. Markham's jewel-case, containing valuable jewellery and the secret plans of Port Arthur, had disappeared.[…]”"
- 3 cause injuries or bodily harm to wordnet
- 4 To hurt (a person's feelings). transitive
"The actor's pride was wounded when the leading role went to his rival."
- 5 hurt the feelings of wordnet
Adjective
- 1 put in a coil wordnet
Example
"The nurse wound my leg with a bandage."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wound"?
Common synonyms include: injury, lesion, abrade, abrasion, abscess, abuse.
How do you use "wound" in a sentence?
The nurse wound my leg with a bandage.
How do you pronounce "wound"?
Pronounced /wyːnd/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Noun from Middle English wund, from Old English wund, from Proto-Germanic *wundō. Verb from Middle English wunden, from Old English wundian, from Proto-Germanic *wundōną.
Etymology 2
See wind (Etymology 2)