battered

adjective

bat·tered | \ ˈba-tərd

How to pronounce battered (audio)

\

Definition of battered

1 : damaged or worn down by hard use a battered old hat a battered truck

2 : injured by repeated blows the victim's battered body a boxer's battered face

3 : subjected to repeated physical abuse providing help for battered wives/children … the store turned into an impromptu women's crisis center, where battered women and mothers trying to rescue their daughters from abusive dads gravitated.— Donna Minkowitz

Examples of battered in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lance Armstrong posted a photo on social media Wednesday of his bruised and battered face, the injuries sustained after wrecking his bike on a Colorado cycling trail during the weekend. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, "Lance Armstrong bloodied and battered after fall while cycling Colorado trail," 9 Aug. 2018 What happened next was revealed when a battered skeleton was unearthed in 2012 from an unmarked grave under an English parking... — John J. Ross, WSJ, "‘Skeleton Keys’ Review: How to Grow a Spine," 1 Mar. 2019 Five days later, her battered corpse was discovered in a garbage dump nearby. — Pamela Constable, The Seattle Times, "Deadly rape of young girl is spurring abuse victims in Pakistan to speak out," 20 Jan. 2018 Dine at one of our favorite tucked away counter restaurants, which serves wonderful, lightly battered tempura using the freshest of vegetables and fish. — Scott Gilman, Town & Country, "How to Plan a Trip to Japan," 5 Oct. 2016 Today, many old and battered Winnebagos number among the thousands of motor homes that line the streets of Los Angeles, from the San Fernando Valley to the Westside to the Harbor area. — Luis Sinco, latimes.com, "'Castaways' in motor homes feel stranded on society's fringe," 2 Mar. 2018 Wells Fargo has initiated a raft of other reforms intended to protect its customers and rebuild its battered reputation, detailed on its website. — James B. Stewart, New York Times, "Punishing Wells Fargo: Just Deserts, or Beating a Dead Horse?," 19 Apr. 2018 Three days later, his battered body was found on the bank of the Hatchie River. — Willie James Inman, Fox News, "Reopening of 1940 Elbert Williams case part of national effort to bring justice to civil rights heroes," 17 Aug. 2018 The battered face of Saturn's frigid moon Dione gets a close-up in a gorgeous photo by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. — Mike Wall, Space.com, "Saturn's Icy Moon Dione Shines in Stunning Cassini Photo," 12 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'battered.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about battered

Dictionary Entries near battered

battered child syndrome

battered woman syndrome

Statistics for battered

Last Updated

16 Apr 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for battered

The first known use of battered was in 1593

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for battered

battered

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of battered

: damaged by being used too much or in a careless way

: badly injured by being hit many times

: physically hurt by another person (such as a husband or parent)

See the full definition for battered in the English Language Learners Dictionary

battered

adjective

bat·tered | \ ˈba-tərd\

Kids Definition of battered

: worn down or injured by hard use She wore a battered old hat.

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

remittance

a sum of money that is sent as a payment

Test Your Vocabulary

Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?

Which came first?

snarky sarcastic

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ