Past Tense of Hurt
“Hurt” has a zero-change verb pattern: hurt → hurt → hurt. The same spelling can also function as a noun or adjective, so first confirm that the word is acting as a verb before applying the conjugation rule.
The simple past and past participle of the verb “hurt” are both “hurt.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| completed action in simple past | hurt | The verb does not change form. |
| past participle after have/has/had | hurt | The participle is also “hurt.” |
| progressive form | hurting | Use the -ing form in progressive constructions. |
Quick tests
Verb-form test
Do you need the simple past or past participle of the verb “hurt”?
If yes: Use “hurt.”
If no: If the word is a noun/adjective, or if the clause is progressive, identify that different role before choosing a verb form.
Caveat: “Hurt” is also a noun and adjective; this guide is specifically about the verb paradigm.
Examples
The fall hurt his shoulder yesterday.
The simple past remains “hurt.”
The delay has hurt sales this month.
The past participle also remains “hurt.”
My ankle is hurting today.
The progressive form is “hurting.”
Further guidance
Core difference
Use “hurt” for both a completed past action and a past participle.
Fast Test
If the clause needs a past form, keep “hurt”; context and auxiliaries reveal whether it is simple past or a participle.
Usage Boundary
Do not create “hurted” as the standard past form, and do not confuse verb uses with noun or adjective uses that share the spelling.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- HURT Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster (opens in a new tab)Merriam-Webster · Merriam-Webster records hurt; hurting, preserving hurt as the inflected past form.
- HURT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Cambridge explicitly records hurt as both the past tense and past participle of hurt.