Verstörter

Verstörter is a German term derived from the verb verstören and the participle verstört, describing a state of emotional disturbance. The core sense is that someone has been shaken or unsettled by an event. In everyday language, someone who has witnessed a traumatic incident or received bad news may be described as verstört, or, less commonly, as a verstörter person or Verstörter as a colloquial noun meaning "a person who is disturbed." The form is most often used attributively: ein verstörter Mann, eine verstörte Reaktion.

In etymology, verstören means to disturb or unsettle; prefix ver- adds nuance of resulting in a state rather than the act of disturbing. Verstört as an adjective conveys a strong emotional impact, typically short- or medium-term; longer-lasting states may be described as erschüttert or traumatisiert.

Nuance and usage: Verstört emphasizes emotional disruption, confusion, or a break in normal composure. It can be used in reportage, psychology discussions, or personal speech, often in the context of events such as accidents, violence, or shocking news. It is somewhat more colloquial than formal, and in formal writing one might prefer erschüttert or traumatisiert depending on intensity.

See also: Verstörung (disturbance or disorientation), Verwirrung, Trauma. Notes: The word is common in German prose but not a technical term; its use should suit the register of the text.

Examples: "Nach dem Unglück war sie verstört, konnte kaum sprechen."