scathed

Scathed is the past participle of the verb scathe, meaning to harm, injure, or damage. In modern English usage, scathe as a verb is uncommon outside historical or literary contexts; the term survives primarily as an adjective in phrases describing harm that has occurred, especially in older prose or poetry. The usual modern equivalents are injured or damaged, or the fixed adjective unscathed to indicate that no harm occurred.

Origin and etymology: The word is of Germanic origin, dating back to Old English and related languages. It has cognates in other Germanic tongues that convey harm or injury. Over time, scathe came to denote both the act of harming and the resulting harm, while in contemporary usage it is largely encountered in archaisms or literary style.

Usage notes: In contemporary writing, scathed tends to appear in historical narratives, poetry, or stylistic prose. It can describe objects, places, or people that have suffered damage or injury. The term unscathed is a more common way to say someone has escaped harm, as in the crew emerged unscathed. The related adjective scathing means severely critical and is etymologically connected but has a distinct sense unrelated to physical injury.

In modern reference works, scathed is typically listed as archaic or literary, used primarily for stylistic effect rather than ordinary, everyday communication.