Meaning & use
mutilated
Last updated
“mutilated” is a form of “mutilate”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Badly damaged or disfigured, especially by having a part cut off or violently removed.
Grammar: Used as an adjective; often before a noun or after a linking verb like 'be' or 'look'.
Patterns
- be mutilated
- a mutilated body
- mutilated beyond recognition
The statue was found mutilated, with its arms broken off.
The animal's body was mutilated by a predator.
verbtransitive
Past tense and past participle of 'mutilate'; to damage someone or something by cutting off a part.
Grammar: Takes an object: mutilate something. The past participle is 'mutilated'.
Patterns
- mutilate something
- be mutilated by something
The vandals mutilated the painting.
He was mutilated in the accident.
Word forms
| base form | mutilate |
|---|---|
| third person singular | mutilates |
| past tense | mutilated |
| past participle | mutilated |
| -ing form | mutilating |
Common combinations
- mutilated body
- Police found a mutilated body in the woods.
- mutilated beyond recognition
- The face was mutilated beyond recognition.
- severely mutilated
- The text was severely mutilated by careless editing.
- mutilated corpse
- The mutilated corpse showed signs of a violent attack.
Synonyms and how they differ
- disfigured
- Disfigured means spoiled in appearance, often on the face; mutilated is stronger and suggests a part is cut off.
- maimed
- Maimed means injured so that a body part is permanently damaged or lost; mutilated focuses on the cutting or violent removal.
Opposites
Word family
- mutilation noun
- The act of mutilating or the state of being mutilated.
- mutilator noun
- A person who mutilates.
Commonly confused: mutilated or mutilate?
mutilated vs mutilate
Mutilated is the past tense or adjective; mutilate is the base verb.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
The correct answer is B because 'mutilated' describes severe physical damage, often to a body. An is wrong because 'mutilated' is too strong for scratching a sofa; C is wrong because changing hair style is not mutilation; D is wrong because eating is not mutilation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mutilated”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.