entstellenden

Entstellenden is a Dutch adjectival form meaning disfiguring or deforming, used to describe conditions, injuries, or appearances that permanently alter the shape or look of a person or object. The base verb entstellen means to disfigure, deform, or mutilate, and entstellend or entstellende are common attributive forms. In practice, the expression is most often found in medical and legal texts, as well as in journalism, to convey the severity and permanence of a deformity.

In medical contexts, entstellende verwondingen or entstellende letsels refer to injuries that cause permanent deformities or scarring. The term emphasizes the lasting visual and functional impact rather than the immediate harm alone. It is frequently used in descriptions of burns, shrapnel injuries, severe lacerations, or other traumas where the outcome includes disfigurement. Figurative uses are also common, for example entstellende beelden or karikaturen describing images or representations that give a distorted or repellent impression.

In legal and ethical discussions, the concept is relevant to assessments of damages, compensation, or accountability for acts causing disfigurement. The phrase may appear in tort or criminal-law contexts when characterizing the severity of harm or the need for restitution. The term thus operates at the intersection of medical description and social judgment, signaling not only harm but its enduring effects on appearance and identity.

See also: disfigurement, mutilation, trauma terminology.