desgastados

Desgastados is the plural masculine form of the Spanish adjective desgastado, meaning worn out, worn down, or shabby. It can modify masculine singular or plural nouns: un zapato desgastado, zapatos desgastados. The feminine forms are desgastada (singular) and desgastadas (plural).

Etymology: it derives from desgastar, with the prefix des- indicating depletion or removal. The verb desgastar means to wear down by use or to exhaust. The participle desgastado functions as an adjective and, in some contexts, as a noun to refer to worn-out people or things: los desgastados.

Usage: it is applied to objects to describe wear on their surfaces, for example, muebles desgastados, pintura desgastada, zapatos desgastados. For people, it suggests fatigue or wear from life or stress, as in se ve desgastado por el estrés. It is not exactly synonymous with agotado, which more commonly denotes exhaustion or depletion.

See also and related terms: desgaste (wear), gastado (worn), deteriorado (deteriorated). In literature or journalism, desgastados can convey social or moral wear. The term is neutral in tone, but can carry negative connotations depending on context.