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
Donna MinkowitzExamples of battered in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Actually, the ferries themselves—battered, hulking brutes, some dating to the Johnson administration, that glide ploddingly along the Puget Sound, their white masses contrasting with the blues and greens of the landscape—have scarcely changed at all.
—Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2024
The job is to take the fall, endure the pain, break the bone, then walk away — unsung, battered and bruised.
—Nicole Sperling, New York Times, 3 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for battered 
Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2024
The job is to take the fall, endure the pain, break the bone, then walk away — unsung, battered and bruised.
—Nicole Sperling, New York Times, 3 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for battered
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'battered.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near battered
Cite this Entry
“Battered.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battered. Accessed 8 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share