Abandonment and time have left the house battered
The adjective battered refers to something damaged or mistreated . What is battered is not in good condition, quite the opposite.
Some examples
For example: “The tennis player is considering retiring from professional activity due to his battered left elbow,” “Yesterday I passed by the door of my childhood home and I was disappointed to find it abandoned and battered,” “The boy put his clothes in a battered bag and left the hostel.”
We are faced with three different examples, which present us with situations to which the adjective battered can contribute various nuances. Let's start with the case of the tennis player: probably due to an accident or excessive and poorly regulated use, his left elbow is not in good condition, it does not allow him to maintain the level of play expected of him. In this case, there is no offensive connotation, but rather a descriptive one with a charge of frustration.
The childhood home in the second example is likely to be overgrown with plants, with subsequent accumulation of moisture. Upon seeing it, the sender feels a mix of emotions because he finds it in a state of deterioration that stains his happy memories. The bag, finally, looks battered because its owner does not have the money to buy another one, and has used it for too long.
Uses of the term
The term battered is used in different contexts. It can refer to an object ; to a symbolic, abstract or immaterial element; to a part of the body; or even to a person or another living being .
As with many other adjectives that can be applied to nouns of different types, speaking of battered to describe an object does not have the same weight or character as when adjectives a situation, an abstract concept or a living being. In each of these cases there is a different degree of objectivity.
A material asset that for different reasons has been left in a state of considerable deterioration can surely be described as battered almost unanimously: not many people would say that a house in ruins is in perfect condition or that it is habitable. However, if someone lives in the house, we should not make this statement, since we could hurt their feelings and, perhaps, our subjectivity clouds our perception.
Something similar happens when talking about a person: unless we have a lot of trust with them and behind our comment there is a genuine desire to help them improve, it is not at all kind (or even polite) to use this adjective to describe them. In fact, if we don't plan to lend a hand, our words would really serve no purpose, other than to satisfy our selfishness by saying something hurtful.
Situations that warrant its use
Suppose someone discovers a painting in the trash . This is a painting whose canvas has holes and stains , but these do not prevent the original drawing from being appreciated. It can be said, in this way, that the painting in question is battered .
An armchair in very poor condition, battered
Various reasons, on the other hand, can cause the economy of a region to be damaged or damaged . A drought that affects agricultural activity and the closure of imports from the main international buyer are factors capable of threatening the economic development of a nation.
If a footballer ruptures his Achilles tendon three times , meanwhile, it can be said that said organ is damaged . Beyond the recovery from each injury , the tendon already has many problems.
Finally, a young person who spends the entire night partying, dancing and drinking alcohol excessively will surely be damaged . Until you rest properly and eliminate alcohol from your system , you will not be in optimal physical condition.