hurting, adj. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

hurting adj.

(US)

1. short of money.

1944		P. Kendall Dict. Service Sl. n.p.: I’m hurtin’ . . . broke.
1968		‘Hy Lit’ Hy Lit’s Unbelievable Dict. of Hip Words 50: hurtin’ – Without money.
1973		E.F. Droge Patolman 215: ‘I hope he gave you some money, man. I’m hurtin’’.
1986		J. Ellroy Suicide Hill 244: ‘[H]e ain't hurting—I bought some vids off him last week’.
1990		R. Campbell Sweet La-La Land (1999) 42: ‘The word is out that you’re hurting.’ ‘I’ve had expenses.’.

2. generally miserable or in trouble.

1957		H. Simmons Corner Boy 124: Specs was hurting, man, was he hurting.
1966		H.S. Thompson Hell’s Angels (1967) 36: I mean the heat was on, man. We were hurtin’.
1970		D. Ponicsan Last Detail 120: ‘Make out pretty well there, do you?’ ‘I ain’t hurtin’.’.
1984		Totally True Diaries of an Eighties Roller Queen 🌐 2 Sept. I don’t want go back to school. It’s going to be hurtin’.
2005		P. Howard Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress 24: I know you’re basically hurting, Babes.

3. (drugs) urgently needing narcotics to sustain one’s regular dosage.

1971		R.D. Pharr S.R.O. (1998) 348: ‘Leah’s laying in there right now hurting for a fix’.
1977		A. Hoffman Property Of (1978) 104: I’m hurting [...] He’s going to be hurting too, McKay is. Or does he have some shit?
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 48: You must be hurtin pretty bad by now.
2009		J. Stahl Pain Killers 94: Jesus wanted to help, he coulda [...] got me an eight-ball when i was hurtin’.
2017		D. Winslow The Force [ebook] ‘I’m hurtin’. Can’t find no one’.

4. (US campus, also hurtin’ cowboy) drunk.

1980		Eble Campus Sl. Fall 4: hurtin’ – heavily intoxicated. hurtin’ cowboy – person who is heavily intoxicated: ‘She was a hurtin’ cowboy last night.’.
1989		Eble Campus Sl. Sept. 4: I’m hurting – suffering the consequences of heavy drinking.

5. (US campus) bad, out of condition.

1985		Eble Campus Sl. Oct. 6: hurting – bad worthless. ‘This movie is really hurting.’.
2001		Eble Campus Sl. Fall 6: hurtin’ – needing repair, replacing, improvement.

hurting dance (n.) (also hurt dance)

(orig. US) sadness, frustration, jealousy, usu. in a relationship in which one person has another doing a hurting dance.

1971		Current Sl. V:4 15: Hurt dance, n. A bad state of affairs or a bad situation.
1976		R. Price Blood Brothers 55: It’s Cheri, right? [...] She got you doin’ a hurtin’ dance.

hurtin’ for certain (US black)

1. distressed, in trouble.

1973		D. Ponicsan Cinderella Liberty 178: ‘How about you?’ ‘Hurtin’ for certain.’.
2004		M. Sutton no Survivors 177: We got to get them covered quick or we’re gonna be hurtin’ for certain!
2012		B. Drake Shorty 270: The two wounded men might have an infection and were hurtin' for certain.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 153: He was booze-bombed and hurtin’ for certain.

2. ugly, very unattractive.

1980

E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 145: Unattractiveness is often characterized in terms that suggest physical pain (she is hurtin’ for certain).

3. in great need, esp. of drugs or sex.

1975		J. Wambaugh Choirboys (1976) 86: ‘If you gotta buy it it ain’t worth it.’ ‘I woulda bought it that night. I was hurtin for certain.’.
2008		M. Theisen Supreme Witness 20: ‘You’re hurtin for certain, dude.’ ‘Yeah,’ he nodded. ‘But so what? I’m gonna get laid’.
2009		E. Hopkins Crank n.p.: During one particular drought spell, I was hurtin’ for certain, and went looking for a new source. [...] He flashed a bindle.