harm feelings

USAGE SUMMARY

"harm feelings" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to talk about the unintended negative emotional effects of someone's words or actions. For example, "His thoughtless comment really harmed her feelings."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

However, the interview focuses on Hunt's hurt feelings, the harm to Hunt's reputation, his perception that he will no longer be able to promote science in the UK and Europe.

Forbes

He is careful to distinguish "dignity harms" from the hurt feelings one might experience in the face of speech that offends.

The New York Times

34 To the authors' knowledge, there are no self-report measures of aggression and bullying that include each of the defined elements of: intent to harm, feeling of hurt, physical and relational aggression, repetition, power imbalance, and covert behaviour that is deliberately or intentionally hidden from adults.

BMJ Open

How to define that "harm" will always be a controversial subject but real harm is surely something more than hurt feelings.

The New Yorker

How to define that "harm" will always be a controversial subject — but real harm is surely something more than hurt feelings.

The New Yorker

A bill put forward by the upper house's National Reconciliation Commission suggests censoring "trite movies and those TV programmes that are contrary to Afghan beliefs...and harm the feelings of our people".

The Economist

Based on these studies, there is still further investigation on living conditions in rural and urban areas that could help a future theoretical framework, which still requires study: does the area urban or rural in which retirees live help or harm their feelings of happiness?

Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica

Specific examples of psychological harm include: "feelings of worthlessness, distress, guilt, anger or fear…disclosure of sensitive or embarrassing information" (p16).

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health

You should be able to take a joke, and dish one out, as long as you don't harm her feelings.

WikiHow

There is no harm in feeling the presence of the past, in all its smoldering complexity.

The New Yorker

A court sentenced the editors of two weekly newspapers to two months in jail for harming religious feelings by reprinting offensive caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing the potential impact of words or actions, use "harm feelings" to acknowledge unintended emotional consequences. For example, "It is important to be mindful of how your actions might "harm feelings", even without malicious intent."

Common error

Be cautious not to use "harm feelings" when the situation warrants a stronger term like "traumatize" or "devastate", or a milder one such as "slightly upset". Choose vocabulary that accurately reflects the severity of the emotional impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "harm feelings" functions as a verb phrase where "harm" acts as a transitive verb and "feelings" serves as its direct object. It describes the act of causing emotional pain or distress. According to Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "harm feelings" is a grammatically correct phrase used to describe causing emotional distress. While Ludwig AI confirms its usability, the phrase's absence from the provided examples indicates that it might be less common than alternatives like "hurt feelings". When writing, it is important to choose vocabulary that accurately reflects the severity of the emotional impact, avoid overstating the emotional impact and consider its connotations of unintentionally causing distress. When considering the limited data, "harm feelings" could be replaced with similar alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Upset emotions

Describes a more mild disturbance of emotional equilibrium.

Hurt sentiments

Focuses on the emotional pain inflicted, similar to "harm feelings" but slightly more direct.

Bruise emotions

Suggests a temporary, though potentially painful, emotional impact.

Damage emotions

Implies a more significant and lasting negative impact on emotional well-being.

Distress emotions

Highlights the causing of significant anxiety and suffering.

Offend sensibilities

Shifts the focus to violating someone's sense of what is acceptable or appropriate.

Aggrieve emotions

Emphasizes causing sorrow or grief, suggesting a deeper emotional wound.

Wound the ego

Targets self-esteem and sense of self-worth rather than general feelings.

Traumatize feelings

Signifies profound emotional damage and lasting psychological effects.

Leave a scar on emotions

Indicates a long lasting and possibly permanent impact on emotional well-being.

FAQs

How can I use "harm feelings" in a sentence?

You can use "harm feelings" to describe actions or words that cause emotional distress or pain to someone. For instance, "His insensitive remarks could unintentionally "harm feelings"." It is important to consider context when using the phrase.

What are some alternatives to "harm feelings"?

Instead of "harm feelings", you could use phrases like "hurt sentiments", "damage emotions", or "upset emotions", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "harm feelings" or "hurt feelings"?

Both "harm feelings" and "hurt feelings" are acceptable, but "hurt feelings" is generally more common. The choice depends on the desired level of formality and the specific emotional impact you're describing.

What's the difference between "harm feelings" and "offend sensibilities"?

"Harm feelings" refers more directly to causing emotional pain or distress. "Offend sensibilities", on the other hand, focuses on violating someone's sense of what is appropriate, polite, or moral, which may or may not result in direct emotional harm.