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Meaning & use

mangled

adjective·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈmæŋ.ɡəld/
US/ˈmæŋ.ɡəld/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Crushed or torn so badly that the original shape is hard to see.

    Grammar: Before a noun or after a verb: a mangled car, the wreck was mangled.

    Patterns

    • a mangled body
    • mangled wreckage

    Rescuers pulled people from the mangled car.

    The bicycle was left mangled under the truck.

    Mangled metal lay across the highway.

  2. adjectivecomparablefigurative

    Spoiled by mistakes or careless handling, as of words, text or a performance.

    Grammar: Often describes language: a mangled sentence, mangled lyrics.

    Patterns

    • a mangled translation
    • mangled lyrics

    The machine translation was a mangled mess.

    He sang the mangled lyrics with total confidence.

    Her mangled French made the waiter smile.

Word forms

comparativemore mangled
superlativemost mangled

Common combinations

mangled wreckage
Mangled wreckage was scattered across the field.
mangled body
The crash left the bus a mangled shell.
mangled translation
The manual had a mangled translation.
mangled sentence
He ended with a mangled sentence nobody understood.
hopelessly mangled
The file was hopelessly mangled after the crash.

Synonyms and how they differ

crushed
Crushed means flattened by pressure, while mangled adds twisting and tearing.
mutilated
Mutilated is stronger and mostly refers to bodies or serious deliberate damage.
garbled
Garbled applies to messages that are confused or unclear, while mangled also covers physical damage.
distorted
Distorted means changed in shape or sound, without the violent destruction of mangled.

Opposites

intactpristine

Word family

mangle verb
to crush or spoil badly
mangling noun
the act of damaging or spoiling something
mangler noun
something that mangles, rare
mangle noun
an old machine with rollers for squeezing water from laundry

Commonly confused: mangled or tangled? mangled or mingled?

mangled vs tangled

Tangled means twisted together, like knotted string. Mangled means damaged or ruined.

mangled vs mingled

Mingled means mixed together and has no sense of damage.

Practice

The tourist's attempt at the local language was so ___ that no one understood him.

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