Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Damaged by repeated blows or hard use: Describes an object that is worn out, dented, or in poor condition due to rough treatment or long use.
   • Physically or emotionally injured by repeated abuse: Describes a person who shows signs of having been subjected to ongoing physical violence or severe emotional mistreatment.

Examples of Usage

• Describing objects:
  • He wore a battered old hat that had seen better days.
  • They found the treasure in a battered wooden chest.
• Describing people:
  • The shelter provides support for battered women.
  • The social worker was trained to recognize the signs of a battered child.

Advanced Usage

• "battered and bruised": Often used together to emphasize both physical damage and injury.
  • The battered and bruised fighter refused to give up.
• "battered syndrome": A clinical term for a pattern of injuries and psychological symptoms resulting from chronic abuse.
  • The doctor diagnosed the patient with battered spouse syndrome.

Variants and Related Words

• Batter (verb): To hit repeatedly and violently.
  • The waves batter the coastline during a storm.
• Battering (noun): An act of hitting repeatedly; a severe beating.
  • The old door could not withstand the battering.

Synonyms

• Beaten-up: Damaged by repeated hitting or use (for objects).
• Abused: Treated cruelly or violently, especially repeatedly (for people).
• Worn-out: Extremely tired or damaged from long use.

Related Phrases

• Battered but not beaten: An idiom meaning physically damaged or weary but not defeated in spirit.
  • The team was battered but not beaten and vowed to come back stronger.

Adjective

1. exhibiting symptoms resulting from repeated physical and emotional injury
   • a battered child
   • the battered woman syndrome
2. damaged especially by hard usage
   • his battered old hat
3. damaged by blows or hard usage
   • a battered old car
   • the beaten-up old Ford