Wounded means injured, especially by something violent like a weapon or accident. When soldiers are wounded in battle, they've been hurt by bullets, explosions, or other weapons. A wounded animal might have been shot by a hunter or hurt in a fight with another animal. The word often suggests a serious injury that breaks the skin or damages the body, different from minor scrapes or bruises.

People also use wounded to describe emotional hurt. When someone's feelings are wounded, they feel genuinely hurt by what someone said or did. If your best friend forgot your birthday, you might feel wounded by their thoughtlessness. A wounded expression on someone's face shows they've been emotionally hurt.

The word carries more weight than simply “hurt.” A wounded person or animal needs real help and care to recover. Wounded pride means someone feels deeply embarrassed or humiliated. When we talk about the walking wounded, we mean people (or sometimes soldiers) who are injured but can still move around on their own.