Megsérteni

Megsérteni is a Hungarian verb meaning to injure or to offend. It is transitive and requires a direct object in the accusative, as in megsérteni valakit. The word covers two main senses: a physical sense (to cause bodily harm) and a figurative sense (to hurt someone’s feelings or to insult).

Etymology and aspect: megsérteni is formed with the prefix me- added to sérteni, yielding a perfective meaning that denotes a completed act. The unprefixed sérteni can be used in less definite, ongoing or general senses of hurting. In noun form, megsértés or sértés refers to an offense or insult, with megsértés often emphasizing the act of causing offense and sértés the act of insulting.

Usage notes: megsérteni valakit is a common construction across registers, used in contexts ranging from everyday speech to journalism and literature. The choice of synonym (for example, megsérteni versus sebezni or bántani) depends on whether the emphasis is on physical harm or on emotional impact and social implications. The verb can appear in various tenses and moods, with past forms such as megsérteni-related constructions appearing in narratives about harm or conflict.

See also: sérülés, sértés, megsértés, bántalmazás.