What does battered mean?
"Battered" is an adjective describing something that has been subjected to repeated blows or rough treatment, leaving it bruised, dented, or visibly worn. It applies both to people and animals injured by violence — as in the grave legal and social term "battered wife" — and to objects that bear the scars of long use, such as a battered suitcase or a battered old car. In British English especially, it has a benign culinary sense: fish, sausages, or vegetables dipped in batter and deep-fried until crisp are described as "battered." The word carries connotations of endurance and survival; a battered book or guitar suggests something well loved rather than merely ruined. Derived from the verb "to batter," meaning to strike repeatedly, it ultimately traces back through Old French to Germanic roots shared with "battle." Its flexibility across contexts — from tragedy to comfort food — makes it one of those rare words that can describe both human suffering and Friday-night dinner.
Injured by repeated blows; showing marks of rough treatment or long hard use.
"The boxer staggered back to his corner, battered but unbowed."
Often used figuratively for objects to suggest affectionate wear rather than destruction.
(Of food) coated in batter and fried.
"They ordered a portion of battered cod with thick-cut chips."
Particularly common in British English; central to fish-and-chips vocabulary.
The same root that gives us "battle" gives us "battered" — every time you order fish and chips, you're eating a word descended from ancient combat.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of battered
"Battered" is the past participle of the verb "batter," which entered Middle English from Old French "batre" (to beat), itself derived from Latin "batuere" (to strike). The Latin root is of uncertain deeper origin, possibly borrowed from Gaulish, and it also underlies words such as "battle," "combat," and "abate." The adjective sense of being physically beaten developed naturally from the verb, while the culinary sense — food cooked in batter — grew alongside the noun "batter," the liquid mixture, which shares the same beating-related origin since batter is made by beating ingredients together.
Related word forms
How battered is actually used
Frequently used in the serious social-legal phrase "battered wife" or "battered woman," referring to domestic abuse — this register carries real gravity and should not be used lightly. In British English, "battered" is also everyday culinary vocabulary for fried food (battered cod, battered sausage). The adjective is almost always attributive or predicative with an implied object of the beating; it is the past participle of "batter" functioning adjectivally.
Easily confused with battered
"Tattered" means ragged or torn (especially of cloth), while "battered" means damaged by blows or rough handling — a tattered flag is frayed, a battered one is dented.
"Shattered" describes something broken into pieces, whereas "battered" describes something dented or bruised but still whole.