Scarred
/skɑːrd/
adjectiveverbB2past tense, past participle
Definition
Scarred describes when someone or something has marks or damage left after harm. Physically, scars are the marks on skin after a cut or wound heals. Emotionally, scarred means feeling hurt or affected deeply by a bad experience.
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See It in Action
Physically marked by healed wounds or injuries
- •His hands were scarred from working with tools.
- •The tree was scarred after the fire passed through.
- •She showed the scarred skin on her arm after the accident.
Emotionally affected by a painful or traumatic experience
- •The child was scarred by the loss of a parent.
- •Years of bullying left him scarred and shy.
- •She was scarred emotionally after the difficult breakup.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "scarred" like "hurt," but the hurt has left a lasting mark you can see or feel inside
- ✓Picture a small line or mark on skin after a cut is healed, or a sad face remembering a bad event
- ✓It's the feeling when you remember something painful that changed you forever
- ✓Sounds like "scarred" → imagine a star (sounds like "scar") that shines but has a small mark on it, showing it was hurt but still strong
- ✓Remember stories where heroes have scars from battles, showing their past struggles
- ✓NOT like "scratch" (small, fresh, and temporary mark), "scarred" means the mark has been there a long time
- ✓NOT like "injured" (currently hurt), "scarred" means healed but with a lasting sign
- ✓NOT like "sad" (feeling unhappy), "scarred" means the sadness or pain has left a deep effect inside
Try Other Words
- •Marked: having a visible sign or spot (Use when the sign is visible but not necessarily from injury)
- •Damaged: harmed or broken (Use when something is broken or not working well, physical or emotional)
- •Wounded: physically or emotionally hurt (Use for recent or active injury, not healed scars)
- •Traumatized: deeply emotionally hurt (Use for strong emotional damage, more serious than scarred)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: root "scar" + suffix "-ed" (shows past action or state)
- •Etymology: From Old French "escarrure," meaning a mark left by a wound
- •Historical development: Used since the 1500s to describe marks left after healing of wounds
- •Modern usage: Used for physical marks on skin and for describing lasting emotional damage or memories
- •Key insight: Shows something healed but left a lasting sign, either on the body or in the mind
Reflect & Connect
•Can emotional scars ever fully heal, or do they always leave some mark?
•How do physical scars and emotional scars compare in the way they affect a person’s life?
Fill in the blanks
1.After the accident, his face was scarred ___ the deep cut he got on his cheek.
2.She was scarred emotionally because of the ___ she experienced as a child.
3.Unlike a fresh wound, a scarred area shows that the skin has ___.
4.The old tree was scarred from the fire, but it still ___ new leaves every year.
5.People who are scarred often find it hard to ___ trust easily again.
6.The scarred soldier told stories about the battles that left him ___.
7.When skin is scarred, it usually means the injury has ___ but left a mark.