harmed

Harmed is the past tense and past participle of the verb harm. It is used to indicate that a person or thing has suffered injury or damage, which may be physical, psychological, or material. In everyday language, someone is described as harmed when they have been injured, and objects or environments can be harmed when they have been damaged. The term can also function as an adjective, as in the harmed party.

Etymology: The word harm traces back to Old English hearm, with the verb harmian evolving in Middle English. The core meaning relates to injury or damage, broad enough to cover physical, emotional, and economic effects. In modern English, harmed and harm are used across medical, legal, and ethical domains.

Usage: In medicine and healthcare, 'do no harm' anchors patient safety; in law, harm denotes injury or loss that can be compensated, including physical injury, property damage, or reputational harm. In social contexts, discussions of harm often distinguish intentional harm from accidental harm and assess risk, responsibility, and mitigation.

Relationship to related terms: Harm contrasts with injury (often a physical injury) and damage (a more general impairment). Harm emphasizes outcome rather than the act, though it can refer to actions that caused it, as in 'they harmed him'. See also harm, injury, damage, and do no harm.