adjective

angeschlagen

chipped · hoarse · shaken

Etwas oder jemand ist nicht in bester Verfassung, zum Beispiel leicht verletzt, beschädigt oder müde.

Definition & meaning

The word angeschlagen is an adjective with several distinct meanings depending on the context:

Health/Physical state: It refers to someone feeling slightly unwell, weak, or having a minor illness (e.g., catching a cold). It describes a state of being "under the weather" or not in one's full physical prime.
Damaged/Condition: It describes an object that has a minor defect, such as a chip, a crack, or a dent. For example, a porcelain plate that has a small piece broken off its edge is considered "angeschlagen."
Sentiment/Mood: It can describe a person who is emotionally shaken, affected, or hit hard by bad news or a negative event.
Scheduled: In a very specific, formal context (often legal or administrative), it can mean that a date or a deadline has been set or announced (e.g., "der Termin ist angeschlagen").

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar: It is the past participle of the verb anschlagen . As an adjective, it follows standard declension rules (e.g., "ein angeschlagener Mann," "eine angeschlagene Tasse").

Word origin: The word is derived from the prefix "an-" (at/on) and the verb "schlagen" (to hit/strike). Literally, it suggests something that has been "struck against" something else, leading to the physical damage meaning, or "struck upon," which evolved into the abstract meanings of scheduling or reaching a point of being affected.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

For health/mood:
- angeschlagen (in the sense of weak): kränklich
- mitgenommen
- angespannt
For objects:
- beschädigt
- defekt
- angeknackst