heruntergekommenen

Heruntergekommenen is the inflected plural form of the German adjective heruntergekommen, meaning dilapidated or run-down. It is used to describe nouns in a state of decay or neglect, typically referring to buildings, neighborhoods, or objects, and less commonly to people in a strongly negative sense. The form signals that the described items are in a poor condition.

In usage, heruntergekommen is declined according to gender, number, and case. In the plural with a definite article, the attributive form appears as heruntergekommenen: die heruntergekommenen Häuser (nominative or accusative plural). In the dative plural one writes in den heruntergekommenen Häusern. In the genitive plural, der heruntergekommenen Häuser. The base form in singular is heruntergekommen, as in ein heruntergekommenes Haus (neuter singular).

Etymology and nuance: the adjective is formed from the prefix herunter- (down, downward) and kommen (to come), with the past participle stem usable as an adjective. It conveys a judgment about the state of disrepair and neglect. The term carries a negative or critical tone and is commonly used in descriptive or narrative contexts to characterize degraded environments, often in discussions of urban decay, architecture, or social commentary.

Related terms include verfallen, verwahrlost, and ruinös. While broadly overlapping in meaning, these synonyms differ in connotation and intensity. Heruntergekommen emphasizes visible decay and neglect rather than mere age or obsolescence.