Zerdrückt

Zerdrückt is the past participle form of the German verb zerdrücken. It describes something that has been crushed or mashed by applying pressure to break it into smaller pieces or to turn it into a paste. The participle can function as a predicate adjective, as in Der Ball ist zerdrückt, or as an attributive form in the phrase ein zerdrückter Ball. In perfect tense it is used with haben: Ich habe die Tomate zerdrückt; Wir haben die Kartoffeln zerdrückt.

The word is built from the prefix zer- and the verb drücken, which means to press or push. The prefix zer- signals destruction, disintegration or a thorough change of state, so zerdrücken conveys the idea of pressing something until it is crushed or deformed. Zerdrücken is related in meaning to other German verbs such as zerquetschen (to squash) or zermalmen (to crush).

Usage and versatility: zerdrückt can refer to physical objects, for example in cooking (eine zerdrückte Kartoffel, zerdrückter Knoblauch), in manufacturing (Materialien zerdrückt) or in everyday life when something is visibly crushed. It can also be used figuratively to describe emotional or psychological states, as in sich zerdrückt fühlen or eine zerdrückte Hoffnung, meaning feeling overwhelmed or crushed by circumstances.

Grammatical notes: zerdrückt is the participle form, while the attributive adjective form would be zerdrückter / zerdrückte / zerdrücktes depending on gender, number, and case. The verb can appear in active voice in thePerfekt or in passive constructions, and its meaning ranges from mild crushing to complete destruction, depending on context.