Verunglückte

Verunglückte is a German noun used to refer to people who have been involved in an accident. It is most commonly used in the plural form die Verunglückten; the singular is der Verunglückte (male) or die Verunglückte (female). The term appears in news reports, official statements, and everyday language to describe individuals affected by a misfortune due to an accident, without specifying the exact injuries or outcomes.

Etymology: The word derives from the verb verunglücken, meaning to be in an accident or to suffer an unfortunate incident. The related noun Verunglückung denotes the accident itself.

Usage and nuance: Verunglückte focuses on the incident rather than the person’s identity or status and often carries a neutral or clinical tone. It does not itself indicate survivorship or severity; for details, modifiers such as verletzt (injured), getötet (killed), or Verstorbene may be used, or the broader phrase Opfer eines Unfalls.

Variants and related terms: As a plural noun, Verunglückte can refer to multiple people; alternatives include Die Verunglückten, Opfer eines Unfalls, or Personen, die in einem Unglück betroffen sind.

See also: Unfälle, Unfallopfer, Unglück, Verunglückung.