Abgebrannter

Abgebrannter is a German term that can function as an adjective meaning burnt-out or charred, typically describing something that has been destroyed or severely damaged by fire. It is formed from the verb abrennen, meaning to burn down, and the past participle abgebrannt. The masculine singular nominative form used attributively is abgebrannter, as in ein abgebrannter Wald.

As a noun, Abgebrannter is rare and mostly found in literary or colloquial contexts. When used as a noun, it can refer to a person who has endured severe burns or, more commonly, to someone who is figuratively burned-out or exhausted. The noun form is not standard in formal writing and is better understood as a stylistic or specialized usage.

Usage and nuance: In everyday German, abgebrannt describes physical objects or landscapes that have suffered fire damage, e.g., Das abgebrannte Haus muss abgerissen werden. Metaphorically, it can describe mental or emotional exhaustion, as in Du bist abgebrannt, meaning you are burned-out or spent after prolonged effort. The term often appears in news reporting about wildfires, in post-disaster descriptions, and in fiction to convey devastation or fatigue.

See also: abgebrannt, Brand, Feuer, Brandstiftung, Burnout.