What does lacerated mean?
Lacerated describes damage involving a deep, ragged tear rather than a clean cut, especially to skin, tissue, or a body part. The word is also the past tense and past participle of lacerate: a blast may lacerate a wall, a machine may lacerate material, and severe conflict may figuratively lacerate a community or institution. Its force comes from the picture of something being torn rather than neatly divided. In medical writing, it describes an irregular wound that may require extensive assessment and repair. Because the term is vivid and somewhat violent, it is generally formal or literary rather than casual. Lacerated is consequently useful when the manner and severity of the damage matter, particularly in reports, medical descriptions, and accounts of accidents or disasters.
Torn or cut deeply and irregularly; mangled or severely injured.
"The doctor found several lacerated areas along the patient's forearm."
Especially used of wounds, tissue, and body parts, but it can also describe severe figurative damage.
Past tense and past participle of lacerate: to tear or rend violently or irregularly.
"Flying debris lacerated the driver's arm."
The verb is formal and can be used literally or figuratively.
Lacerated is the vivid word for damage caused by tearing rather than by a clean incision.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lacerated come from?
Lacerated comes through Latin laceratus, the past participle of lacerare, meaning “to tear” or “rend.” The English verb and its participial adjective developed from this Latin foundation, with the adjective becoming especially common in descriptions of severe wounds. Related forms include laceration and the less common lacerable; French lacérer and Spanish lacerar continue the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How lacerated is actually used
Lacerated is formal or literary and is especially common in medical, legal, and descriptive contexts. It is stronger and more graphic than cut and usually suggests a ragged or severe injury.
Easily confused with lacerated
Lacerated means torn or cut with ragged wounds, whereas macerated means softened, separated, or broken down by moisture or soaking.