ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 26/1/26(月)be wounded’, ‘be injured’
What is the difference between ‘be wounded’ and ‘be injured’?
This is a fascinating question because these two phrases are very close synonyms. In many general situations, if you use one instead of the other, people will still understand what you mean.
However, native speakers instinctively choose one over the other based on how the person got hurt and the nature of the hurt itself.
Here is a breakdown of the differences between being injured and being wounded.
- The Umbrella vs. The Specific Raindrop
The biggest difference is scope.
Be injured: This is the broad, general term for sustaining harm to the body. It covers everything from a sprained ankle to a broken bone to a concussion.
Be wounded: This is a specific type of injury. All wounds are injuries, but not all injuries are wounds. - The Nature of the Harm (Skin vs. Bone/Muscle)
Injured is used for both internal and external damage.
You can be injured without bleeding (e.g., a concussion, a pulled muscle, a broken rib that hasn’t pierced the skin).
Wounded almost always implies a break in the skin or flesh.
It suggests bleeding, a cut, a tear, or a puncture. You wouldn’t usually say someone with a sprained wrist is “wounded.” - The Cause: Accidents vs. Violence (Crucial Distinction)
This is perhaps the most important guide on which word to choose.
A. “Be Injured” = Accidents, Sports, and Mishaps
We typically use “injured” when the harm was accidental, unintentional, or the result of physical exertion.
Correct: “He was injured in a car accident.” (It was an accident.)
Correct: “The football player was injured during the match.” (Sports context.)
Stranger sounding: “The football player was wounded during the match.” (Unless another player attacked him with a knife, this sounds overly dramatic.)
B. “Be Wounded” = Weapons, War, and Intentional Attacks
We use “wounded” when the harm was caused deliberately by another person, an animal, or a weapon designed to inflict harm. It is strongly associated with warfare and combat.
Correct: “The soldier was wounded in battle.” (War context.)
Correct: “The victim was wounded by a gunshot.” (Weapon/attack context.)
Weaker: “The soldier was injured in battle.” (This is grammatically okay, but “wounded” is much more precise and common for combat). - Emotional Use
Both words can be used metaphorically for non-physical hurt, but they carry different weights.
Injured feelings/pride: This is common but feels slightly superficial.
“My pride was injured when I lost the game.”
Wounded heart/soul: This implies a deeper, more profound emotional cut that takes a long time to heal.
“He is like a wounded animal, lashing out at everyone.”
“She nursed her wounded heart after the divorce.”
Summary Table
Feature Be Injured Be Wounded
Scope General term for harm. Specific term for harm.
Physicality Can be internal (breaks, sprains) or external. Usually implies broken skin/flesh and bleeding.
Primary Context Accidents, sports, mishaps, falls. Warfare, combat, weapons, intentional attacks.
Example “She was injured skiing.” “He was wounded by shrapnel.”
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単語・熟語 発音記号 意味
difference /ˈdɪfərəns/ 違い
wounded /ˈwuːndɪd/ 負傷した（主に傷口がある）
injured /ˈɪndʒərd/ けがをした
fascinating /ˈfæsɪneɪtɪŋ/ とても興味深い
synonym /ˈsɪnənɪm/ 類義語
general situation /ˈdʒenrəl/ 一般的な状況
instead of /ɪnˈsted əv/ ～の代わりに
instinctively /ɪnˈstɪŋktɪvli/ 本能的に
based on /beɪst ɑːn/ ～に基づいて
nature /ˈneɪtʃər/ 性質、本質
breakdown /ˈbreɪkdaʊn/ 内訳、詳細な説明
scope /skoʊp/ 範囲
broad /brɔːd/ 幅広い
specific /spəˈsɪfɪk/ 特定の
sustain harm /səˈsteɪn/ 被害・損傷を受ける
sprained ankle /spreɪnd ˈæŋkəl/ 捻挫した足首
broken bone /ˈbroʊkən boʊn/ 骨折
concussion /kənˈkʌʃən/ 脳震とう
internal /ɪnˈtɜːrnəl/ 体内の
external /ɪkˈstɜːrnəl/ 外部の
bleeding /ˈbliːdɪŋ/ 出血
flesh /fleʃ/ 肉、皮膚
imply /ɪmˈplaɪ/ 含意する
cut /kʌt/ 切り傷
tear /ter/ 裂傷
puncture /ˈpʌŋktʃər/ 刺し傷
crucial /ˈkruːʃəl/ 極めて重要な
accidental /ˌæksɪˈdentl/ 偶然の
unintentional /ˌʌnɪnˈtenʃənl/ 故意でない
exertion /ɪɡˈzɜːrʃən/ 身体的努力
mishap /ˈmɪshæp/ 小さな事故
deliberate /dɪˈlɪbərət/ 故意の
weapon /ˈwepən/ 武器
warfare /ˈwɔːrfer/ 戦争
combat /ˈkɑːmbæt/ 戦闘
gunshot /ˈɡʌnʃɑːt/ 銃撃
metaphorically /ˌmetəˈfɔːrɪkli/ 比喩的に
superficial /ˌsuːpərˈfɪʃəl/ 表面的な
profound /prəˈfaʊnd/ 深い、重大な
lash out /læʃ aʊt/ 激しく非難する
nurse (an emotion) /nɜːrs/ （感情を）抱え続ける
divorce /dɪˈvɔːrs/ 離婚
「be wounded」と「be injured」の違いは何でしょうか。
これは非常に興味深い質問です。というのも、この2つの表現はとても意味が近い類義語だからです。多くの一般的な状況では、どちらを使っても意味は通じます。
しかし、英語の母語話者は「どのようにしてけがをしたのか」「そのけがの性質は何か」に基づいて、本能的に使い分けています。以下は、その違いの整理です。
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包括的な表現か、具体的な表現か
「be injured」は、身体に損傷を受けること全般を指す広い表現です。捻挫、骨折、脳震とうなどすべてを含みます。
「be wounded」はより具体的で、すべての傷はけがですが、すべてのけがが傷というわけではありません。 -
けがの性質（皮膚か、内部か）
「injured」は体内・体外どちらの損傷にも使われます。出血がなくても使えます。
「wounded」はほぼ必ず皮膚や肉が破れ、出血を伴うことを示します。 -
原因：事故か暴力か（最重要ポイント）
事故やスポーツなど偶発的な場合は「injured」、
武器・戦争・意図的な攻撃の場合は「wounded」が使われます。 -
感情的な用法
「injured」は軽め、「wounded」は深い心の傷を表します。