abgerissen

Abgerissen is the past participle of the German verb abreißen and is also used as an adjective. It denotes that something has been torn off, torn away, or removed by demolition. The term is most common in physical contexts, such as materials or structures, but it can also describe a condition or appearance that seems worn or ragged.

Origin and usage: The word is built from the prefix ab- (off, away) and the verb reißen (to tear). As a participle, abgerissen appears in perfect tense with das Hilfsverb haben in transitive constructions (Ich habe die Wand abgerissen). It can also function attributively or predicatively as a simple adjective: eine abgerissene Wand, ein abgerissenes Dach, eine abgerissene Kante.

Contexts: In construction, architecture and journalism, abgerissen frequently describes demolition or removal of buildings or parts of them: Das Haus wurde abgerissen. In descriptions of objects, it highlights physical damage such as torn fabric or damaged edges: eine abgerissene Jacke, eine abgerissene Schreibunterlage. In literature, the term may be used metaphorically to convey abruptness or roughness, though such usage is less common and often understood from context.

Related terms: Abreißen is the taller verb from which abgerissen derives, meaning to tear off or demolish. Related nouns include Abriss (demolition) and Abbruch (breaking off or demolition). Abgerissen as a stylistic note may imply something has been forcibly removed or markedly violated of its former state.