25 Comforting Phrases That Are Actually HURTFUL
A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2
strong
US / strɒŋ /
•UK / strɔŋ /
- adjecitve
- (Of tea or beer) dark or thick
- Having big muscles; physically powerful
positive
US / ˈpɒzətɪv /
•UK / ˈpɑzɪtɪv /
- adjecitve
- Showing agreement or support for something
- Being sure about something; knowing the truth
- Having the charge produced by electrons
- Being good or useful
- Showing that a chemical is present in a test
unique
US / jʊ'ni:k /
•UK / juˈnik /
- adjecitve
- Unlike other things; being the only one like it
harm
US / hɑ:m /
•UK / hɑrm /
- noun
- Damage or injury
- verb
- To damage, injure, or hurt someone or something
oversimplify
US / ˌəʊvəˈsɪmplɪfaɪ /
•UK / ˌoʊvərˈsɪmplɪfaɪ /
- verb
- To describe but miss out important details
imply
US / ɪmˈplaɪ /
•UK / ɪmˈplaɪ /
- verb
- To suggest something, without saying it directly
suffering
US / ˈsʌfərɪŋ /
•UK / ˈsʌfərɪŋ, ˈsʌfrɪŋ /
- noun
- Experience of pain, illness or injury
- verb
- To experience pain, illness, or injury
struggle
US / 'strʌɡl /
•UK / ˈstrʌɡəl /
- noun
- Strong efforts made to do something difficult
- verb
- To try very hard to do something difficult
just
US / dʒʌst /
•UK / dʒʌst /
- adjecitve
- Proper or appropriate; as is deserved
- Doing or being what is right or fair
- Legally correct; having enough evidence
- adverb
- Almost; nearly
- Exactly at the time of
- Exactly (the same as, like)
fully
US / 'fʊlɪ /
•UK / ˈfʊli /
- adverb
- Completely or entirely
time
US / taɪm /
•UK / taɪm /
- noun
- Speed at which music is played; tempo
- Point as shown on a clock, e.g. 3 p.m
- Number of hours, minutes needed to do something
- Occasion when something happens
- Period or occasion that something occurred
- Period in history or the past
- Something measured in minutes, hours, days, etc.
- How long an event takes; duration
- verb
- To check speed at which music is performed
- To choose a specific moment to do something
- To measure how long an event takes, e.g. a race
- To schedule something to occur at a specific moment
for
US / fə(r) /
•UK / fɔr,fə /
- preposition
- Used to show the purpose, or need of something
those
US / ðəʊz /
•UK / ðoz /
- determiner
- The people or things we are talking about
- pronoun
- The objects far from the speaker
invalidate
US / ɪn'vælɪdeɪt /
•UK / ɪnˈvælɪˌdet /
- verb
- To show to not be officially correct or allowable
understanding
US / ˌʌndəˈstændɪŋ /
•UK / ˌʌndərˈstændɪŋ /
- adjecitve
- Being sympathetic
- noun
- When you get the meaning correctly; comprehension
- Knowledge about something or someone
- verb
- To know the meaning of language, what someone says
comment
US / 'kɒment /
•UK / ˈkɑmɛnt /
- noun
- Something you say, giving an opinion; remark
- verb
- To say something that gives your opinion
dismiss
US / dɪsˈmɪs /
•UK / dɪsˈmɪs /
- verb
- To consider that something is at an end
- To end someone's employment; fire someone
- To not to think about something seriously
get
US / ɡet /
•UK / ɡɛt /
- verb
- To become affected by illness or disease
- To begin to feel or understand an emotion or idea
- To send or bring someone or something home, etc.
- To go somewhere to obtain something
- To (cause to) do a particular thing
- To obtain, receive or be given something
- To currently have
- To prepare for use
- To understand something being said or read
first
US / fɜ:st /
•UK / fɚst /
- adjecitve
- 1st; Coming before all others in time or place
- noun
- Something that has not happened before
- Position of the winner of a competition
watch
US / wɒtʃ /
•UK / wɑtʃ /
- noun
- Period of time someone is responsible for guarding
- Device you wear on your wrist that shows the time
- Official warning statement, e.g. of bad weather
- verb
- To keep in check, manage, or control something
- To look at something for entertainment, e.g. TV
- To guard a place or people; protect child, etc.
- To look at carefully to work out what is happening
- To protect and care for someone or something
offer
US / 'ɒfə(r) /
•UK / ˈɔfɚ, ˈɑfɚ /
- noun
- Price you say you are willing to pay for something
- Act of making a thing available to be accepted
- verb
- To suggest a price you are willing to pay
- To give the opportunity to accept something
- To say you are willing to do something
- To give or say something as an act of worship
great
US / ɡreɪt /
•UK / ɡret /
- adjecitve
- Very large in size
- Very important
- Very good; fantastic; wonderful
- adverb
- Very good; better than before
- noun
- Successful and well-admired person
stay
US / steɪ /
•UK / ste /
- noun
- Legal order to stop or delay an action
- Strong rope or wire that supports a ship's mast
- Period of time spent living in or visiting a place
- verb
- To keep trying without giving up
- To remain in the same place and not move away
- To spend time visiting a place or someone's home
that
US / ðæt /
•UK / ðæt, ðət /
- adjecitve
- The person or thing being talked about
- Used to identify something both the speakers know
- adverb
- Used to reinforce adjectives and adverbs
- To such a degree
- conjunction
- Used to connect a noun clause
- Used to introduce an adverbial clause
- Used to introduce a noun clause
- determiner
- Used as a noun to refer to something
- pronoun
- Referring an object far away
- Used to refer to the relative pronoun ‘which’
eventually
US / ɪˈventʃuəli /
•UK / ɪˈvɛntʃuəli /
- adverb
- After a long time; after many attempts; in the end
empathy
US / ˈempəθi /
•UK / ˈɛmpəθi /
- noun
- Understanding how other people feel/suffer
current
US / 'kʌrənt /
•UK / ˈkɚrənt, ˈkʌr- /
- adjecitve
- Happening or being in the present time
- noun
- Electricity flowing through wires
- Movement of water in a river, or air in the sky
happen
US / 'hæpən /
•UK / ˈhæpən /
- verb
- To take place or occur
with
US / wɪð /
•UK / wɪð, wɪθ /
- preposition
- As an employee of a certain company
- Against something or someone
- By using something as a means
- Due to; because of
- Including
- Possessing as a feature
- Related to
- (Of the manner/attitude by which you do something)
- Used to express that people or things are together
without
US / wɪˈðaʊt /
•UK / wɪðˈaʊt, wɪθ- /
- preposition
- Not with; not having
have
US / həv /
•UK / hæv /
- verb
- To drink, smoke, eat or use something
- To experience the effects of something
- To organize an event, or join in an activity
- To own, possess, or hold something
- To cause to happen or produce a particular effect
emotion
US / iˈməuʃən /
•UK / ɪˈmoʃən /
- noun
- A feeling such as sadness, anger or love
know
US / nəʊ /
•UK / noʊ /
- verb
- To be familiar with a person or place, thing
- To feel sure or be convinced about something
- To discover or be aware of something
- To be able to distinguish
- To have knowledge of things
quickly
US / ˈkwɪkli /
•UK / ˈkwɪklɪ /
- adverb
- Without taking a lot of time; fast
end
US / end /
•UK / ɛnd /
- noun
- The point where a process or activity stops
- A point that marks the limit of something; finish
- Goal or desired result
- The tip, edge or limit of something
- verb
- To be the last part of something
their
US / ðɛː /
•UK / ðer /
- determiner
- Belonging to them
move
US / mu:v /
•UK / muv /
- noun
- Act of moving a playing piece in chess, etc.
- An action; doing something
- Step taken to achieve a goal
- verb
- To cause someone to have certain emotions
- To cause something to change to a different place
- To change where people live or a business operates
- To take action to do or achieve something
worry
US / ˈwʌri /
•UK / ˈwɜ:ri /
- noun
- Something that causes trouble or concern
- verb
- To cause concern or trouble over something
all
US / ɔ:l /
•UK / ɔl /
- adverb
- Completely; totally
- determiner
- Being every one of something
- pronoun
- 100% of something; the complete amount
thank
US / θæŋk /
•UK / θæŋk /
- verb
- To tell someone you are grateful to them
look
US / lʊk /
•UK / lʊk /
- noun
- Person's beauty or physical attractiveness
- Particular style of dress, clothes, or appearance
- The way someone, something appears to be
- Act of searching for or examining something
- verb
- To appear to be; seem
hold
US / həʊld /
•UK / hold /
- noun
- Section of a ship or plane used for storing things
- Influence or power held over someone
- Place of support for hands or feet when climbing
- verb
- To agree to keep something for someone
- To have the capacity to support/contain something
- To control an area and protect it from attack
- To not allow someone to leave a place
- To cause an event to happen at a place or time
- To use hands or arms to carry or keep something
- To have a specific quality or property
- To keep an image, belief or feeling in your mind
- To have or own something
- To wait before being able to talk on the phone
- To limit the movement of someone in a sport
they
US / ðeɪ /
•UK / ðe /
- pronoun
- Two or more people, animals, or things
everything
US / 'evrɪθɪŋ /
•UK / ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ /
- pronoun
- All of the things mentioned
minimize
US / 'mɪnɪmaɪz /
•UK / ˈmɪnəˌmaɪz /
- verb
- To make something seem small or less important
sure
US / ʃʊə(r) /
•UK / ʃʊr /
- adjecitve
- Having no doubts about something
- Have confidence in your own words or actions
- Firmly established or held; being firm or stable
- Being correct or true
- adverb
- What you say to agree willingly
ever
US / 'evə(r) /
•UK / ˈɛvɚ /
- adverb
- At any time; at all times in the future
try
US / traɪ /
•UK / traɪ /
- noun
- Act of putting the ball over the rugby goal line
- verb
- To make an effort, to attempt to do something
- To examine someone or something in a court of law
- To test to see if it is good or you like it
- To make a person go through hardship; test
- To examine something to see if it works
genuine
US / ˈdʒenjuɪn /
•UK / ˈdʒɛnjuɪn /
- adjecitve
- Being real, actual, and not false or artificial
- Being sincere in your actions or character
reason
US / 'ri:zn /
•UK / ˈrizən /
- noun
- Ability to think about facts and form a judgment
- Explanation for why something occurred or was done
- verb
- To think and make conclusions in a logical manner
feel
US / fi:l /
•UK / fil /
- verb
- To be aware of or experience an emotion, sensation
- To sense through direct contact; touch
realize
US / 'ri:əlaɪz /
•UK / ˈriəˌlaɪz /
- verb
- To become aware of or understand mentally
comfort
US / 'kʌmfət /
•UK / ˈkʌmfət /
- noun
- Acts or words that reduce pain or sadness
- State of being relaxed, warm or happy
- verb
- To try to make distressed person feel better
actually
US / ˈæktʃuəli /
•UK / ˈæktʃuəli /
- adverb
- Used to add new (often different) information
will
US / wɪl /
•UK / wɪl /
- noun
- Desire or choice of someone
- Document saying who gets your money when you die
- Strong desire to do something; determination
- Desire to do something; strong wish to do
- other
- Used with verbs to express the future
- verb
- To leave property to someone after your death
- To use mental effort to make something happen
- Am (is, are) likely to do
- To influence someone to do something
- To make something happen by strongly wanting it
someone
US / ˈsʌmwʌn /
•UK / ˈsʌmˌwʌn, -wən /
- pronoun
- Person who is not known or named
should
US / ʃʊd /
•UK / ʃʊd /
- other
- Used to indicate what is proper or reasonable
massive
US / ˈmæsɪv /
•UK / ˈmæsɪv /
- adjecitve
- Very big; large; too big
wait
US / weɪt /
•UK / wet /
- verb
- To delay or not do something until later
- To spend time until an expected thing happens
- To remain in a place until a thing happens
pain
US / peɪn /
•UK / pen /
- noun
- Strong feeling of hurt or discomfort
- Something or someone that bothers or upsets you
- verb
- To cause someone to feel upset or worry
and
US / ənd /
•UK / ənd, ən,ænd /
- conjunction
- Used to refer to two or more things
- Plus; in addition; on top of that
- Used to introduce an action that follows another
back
US / bæk /
•UK / bæk /
- adjecitve
- Farthest from the front e.g. in a classroom
- adverb
- Have returned to a place you were before
- noun
- The part of a chair that the upper body leans upon
- Location at the rear of something
- The reverse of side something
- Area on the rear of your body
- verb
- To bet money on something
- To go backwards in a car
- To support and encourage someone or some cause
over
US / 'əʊvə(r) /
•UK / ˈovɚ /
- adverb
- Finished; no longer happening
- Towards the ground/away from a standing position
- noun
- A set of six consecutive balls bowled in cricket
- other
- Finished
- preposition
- Showing the relation when a thing is above another
- On or covering something
- Above or across something
- More than you need
- From one side to the other
- In the direction of; toward
out
US / aʊt /
•UK / aʊt /
- adverb
- No longer stylish (e.g. fashion)
- Away from home, business, or the usual place
- In a direction/movement away from inside or center
- noun
- Act when a batter cannot continue playing
- verb
- To tell people a secret
our
US / 'aʊə(r) /
•UK / aʊr /
- determiner
- Belonging to us
not
US / nɒt /
•UK / nɑt /
- adverb
- Word indicating the negative
- (Used to form the negative of verbs)
support
US / səˈpɔ:t /
•UK / səˈpɔrt, -ˈport /
- noun
- Assistance or advice given to someone
- Evidence that helps prove something is true
- A thing to hold up or prevent from falling down
- verb
- To give assistance or advice to someone
- To help prove or show that something is true
- To hold up or prevent from falling down
justify
US / ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ /
•UK / ˈdʒʌstəˌfaɪ /
- verb
- To give good reasons for something
can
US / kæn /
•UK / kən,kæn /
- noun
- A metal container for storing food
- other
- Able to; have the skill to; have the time to
- verb
- To have permission to
- To be possible to do
- To preserve food by sealing it in a metal container
understand
US / ˌʌndə'stænd /
•UK / ˌʌndɚˈstænd /
- verb
- To know the meaning of language, what someone says
video
US / 'vɪdɪəʊ /
•UK / ˈvɪdiˌo /
- adjecitve
- Of a moving film, with sound
- noun
- Recording capturing action with sound
- verb
- To make a moving film of, with sound
feeling
US / ˈfi:lɪŋ /
•UK / ˈfilɪŋ /
- noun
- Sensation or emotion you experience
- verb
- To be aware of or experience an emotion, sensation
- To sense through direct contact; touch
address
US / ə'dres /
•UK / əˈdrɛs /
- noun
- Exact street location of a place
- A formal speech to a group of people
- verb
- To write the place someone lives on a letter
- To refer to someone or something formally
- To make a formal speech to a group of people
- To try to find a solution to; think about
wound
US / waʊnd /
•UK / waʊnd /
- noun
- Sadness or displeasure caused by a bad memory
- Physical injury, especially that suffered in war
- verb
- To rotate a part of say a watch to make it work
- To hurt someone emotionally
- To injure someone in a fight with a knife gun etc.
phrase
US / freɪz /
•UK / frez /
- noun
- Common expression or saying
- Section of musical notes in a piece of music
- A set of words used together
- verb
- To choose words to say what you mean clearly
good
US / ɡʊd /
•UK / ɡʊd /
- adjecitve
- Proper, appropriate or right
- (Of an amount) enough; plenty
- Excellent; high quality
- Acting well or properly; of moral character
- In a positive or happy emotional state
- noun
- Advantage or benefit
you
US / jʊ /
•UK / ju /
- pronoun
- Person someone is speaking or writing to
- Person or people in general
simply
US / ˈsɪmpli /
•UK / ˈsɪmpli /
- adverb
- In an easy or clear manner
how
US / haʊ /
•UK / haʊ /
- adjecitve
- To what degree? in what amount?
- adverb
- (Used to explain the way to do something)
- exclamation
- For what purpose or reason?
- (Used to ask someone or something's condition)
fine
US / faɪn /
•UK / faɪn /
- adjecitve
- Good, acceptable or satisfactory
- Of high quality; made with great skill
- In a careful or exact manner; into small pieces
- Being of high quality
- Good; okay; no problem
- (Of weather) good; not raining
- noun
- Money you have to pay because you broke a rule
- verb
- To pay money because you broke a law
word
US / wɜ:d /
•UK / wɚd /
- noun
- Unit of language that has a meaning
- Promise
- Short remark or piece of information
- verb
- To express something by choosing particular words
this
US / ðɪs /
•UK / ðɪs /
- adjecitve
- Used to indicate something already been discussed
- Used to indicate something happening around now
- adverb
- An indication by a physical motion or gesture
- A specific amount of
- determiner
- Person, thing, or idea near you
- pronoun
- Person, thing that has already been discussed
the
US / ðə /
•UK / ðə /
- article
- Used to refer to something already mentioned
- Used to show there is only one of something
- determiner
- Used to describe all of a family
essential
US / ɪ'senʃl /
•UK / ɪˈsɛnʃəl /
- adjecitve
- Extremely or most important and necessary
than
US / ðən /
•UK / ðən /
- conjunction
- Used to compare two things that are not equal
power
US / 'paʊə(r) /
•UK / ˈpaʊɚ /
- noun
- Legal or official right to perform certain actions
- Ability to move forcefully and quickly
- Energy of something (e.g. electricity or fuel)
- Mathematical way to multiply a number
- Condition of being in political control
- Physical force, energy, and strength
- verb
- To give energy to something, e.g. by electricity
- To move something forcefully and quickly
complexity
US / kəm'pleksətɪ /
•UK / kəmˈplɛksɪti /
- noun
- State of having many parts and not being simple
fade
US / feɪd /
•UK / fed /
- verb
- To cause to lose brightness of color
- To lose strength or freshness
heal
US / hi:l /
•UK / hi:l /
- verb
- To recover from or forget a bad experience
- To make or become healthy or well again
suggest
US / səˈdʒest /
•UK / səɡˈdʒɛst, səˈdʒɛst /
- verb
- To mention something that could be done; propose