lesionar

Definition & meaning

Lesionar is a verb meaning to injure or to cause physical harm to a person or animal. It can also mean to damage or impair something, such as a right, an interest, or an organization.

• La caída le lesionó la rodilla. — The fall injured their knee.
• La decisión puede lesionar sus derechos. — The decision may infringe on their rights.

It is commonly used transitively, with the injured person or damaged thing as its direct object. The reflexive form lesionarse means to get injured.

Grammar & word origin

Lesionar is a regular verb in the first conjugation, ending in -ar. Its present-tense forms include lesiono, lesionas, and lesiona. The past participle is lesionado.

It is formed from lesión “injury, damage” and the verb-forming suffix -ar. Lesión comes from Latin laesio, meaning “injury” or “harm.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Possible synonyms include:

• herir ↗ — to wound or injure, often suggesting a physical wound; it can also mean to hurt someone’s feelings.
• dañar ↗ — to damage or harm; broader than lesionar and often used for objects or abstract interests.
• perjudicar ↗ — to harm or disadvantage, especially in a nonphysical or practical sense.
• lastimar ↗ — to hurt or injure; often similar to lesionar, but it may also refer to emotional hurt.

There is no single direct antonym in every context. Depending on the meaning, possible opposites include:

• curar ↗ — to heal or cure an injury.
• proteger ↗ — to protect from harm.
• beneficiar ↗ — to benefit, as an opposite of harming or disadvantaging.

Common phrases & collocations

• lesionar un músculo ↗ — to injure a muscle
• lesionar la rodilla ↗ — to injure the knee
• lesionar los derechos de alguien ↗ — to infringe on someone’s rights
• lesionarse durante un partido ↗ — to get injured during a match