prostrated

Prostrated is the past participle and adjectival form of the verb prostrate, meaning laid flat on the ground or in a state of being overwhelmed. It describes a person or object that has been forced or chosen to lie face down, often as a result of physical collapse, extreme fatigue, illness, or defeat. It can also indicate a state of emotional or figurative overwhelm, such as being prostrated by grief or a calamity.

In medical and clinical contexts, prostration refers to a severe reduction in strength and ability to stand, sometimes accompanied by faintness, dehydration, fever, or shock. For example, a patient may be described as prostrated by illness or by heat exhaustion, signaling the need for urgent care.

In religious and ceremonial settings, prostration denotes a formal act of submission or reverence, in which individuals lie face down or bow deeply before a deity, shrine, or sacred space. While the act is called prostration, the adjective prostrated may be used to describe someone who has performed such an act or who is in a state of prostration, though the noun form prostration is more common in this context.

Etymology: prostrated derives from Latin prosternere, meaning to lay out or spread before, through Old French and Middle English, with the sense evolving to include both physical lying and figurative overwhelm.

See also: prostrate, prostration.