emotionally scarred

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "emotionally scarred" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It is typically used to describe someone who has experienced emotional trauma or enduring emotional damage. Example: The child was emotionally scarred from the abuse he had endured in his early years, causing him to struggle with trust and intimacy in his adult relationships.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Are they emotionally scarred?

The New York Times

Was I emotionally scarred?

The New York Times

"She has been emotionally scarred and traumatized by this.

The New York Times - Sports

I am still emotionally scarred from that, and he was right.

The New York Times - Magazine

She played tormented, emotionally scarred women with an intensity that few British actresses of her generation could match.

Independent

He loves the promise of Russia — its poetry, music and people — even though he is routinely battered and emotionally scarred.

The New York Times - Books

Mr. Kiberd has portrayed soldiers before, including the emotionally scarred Vietnam vet Mike Donovan in the ABC soap opera "Loving".

The New York Times

Simply dismissing a player – any player – because he left you emotionally scarred last year is directly out of the "Paradox of Choice" playbook.

The New York Times - Sports

His latest play, "Ages of the Moon," about two emotionally scarred men in their 60s (the damaged women remain offstage) lasts about 80 minutes.

The New York Times

She brings with her not only vivid memories of her three tours in Afghanistan, but painful burns that have left her physically and emotionally scarred.

The New York Times

"Ruined," about a group of physically and emotionally scarred prostitutes in war-torn Congo, won virtually every award that it qualified for during its seven-month run Off Broadway in 2009.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair the phrase with verbs like "left", "remained" or "grew up" to emphasize the lasting nature of the condition.

Common error

Do not use the phrase in medical contexts where you are referring to physical nerve damage or skin scarring resulting from an injury. While the metaphor is widely understood, using it in a strictly clinical setting may lead to ambiguity regarding whether the damage is psychological or physiological.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "emotionally scarred" consists of the adverb "emotionally" modifying the past participle "scarred", which functions as an adjective. In the examples provided by Ludwig, it typically appears as a subject complement following linking verbs like "is", "was" or "remains".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Wiki

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

2%

Social Media

2%

Academic

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "emotionally scarred" is a powerful and grammatically correct way to describe enduring psychological trauma. Ludwig AI highlights its prevalence in high-quality journalistic sources, where it is used to describe the human impact of war, abuse, and personal loss. Because it relies on a physical metaphor, it carries more visceral weight than purely clinical terms. It is most effective when used to describe events that have a permanent effect on an individual's outlook or behavior, rather than fleeting emotional states. When writing, ensure the context supports the intensity of the phrase to maintain its impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

psychologically traumatized

adds a clinical or diagnostic tone compared to the more metaphorical scarred

mentally wounded

emphasizes a state of injury that may still be raw or unhealed

lasting emotional damage

rephrases the state into a noun phrase to describe the condition itself

deeply affected

provides a more understated and formal way to describe a lasting impact

haunted by trauma

shifts the focus to the recurring and invasive nature of past experiences

emotionally battered

suggests a series of repeated hardships rather than a single event

internally damaged

uses a more objective, almost mechanical metaphor for psychological harm

permanently marked

focuses on the indelible nature of the experience without specifying it as emotional

spiritually broken

broadens the impact to a person's core beliefs or existential well-being

soul-crushed

offers a more hyperbolic and informal expression of extreme distress

FAQs

How do I use "emotionally scarred" in a sentence?

You can use it as an adjective to describe a person or a character, for example: "The witness was <a href="/s/emotionally+scarred" target="_blank" rel="alternative">emotionally scarred by what she saw that night."

What is the difference between "emotionally scarred" and "traumatized"?

While both describe psychological harm, <a href="/s/traumatized" target="_blank" rel="alternative">traumatized often refers to the immediate state after an event, whereas being "emotionally scarred" focuses on the permanent mark or change left on one's personality.

Is "emotionally scarred" too informal for business writing?

It is generally considered neutral. However, in a professional or HR context, you might prefer more objective terms like <a href="/s/psychologically+impacted" target="_blank" rel="alternative">psychologically impacted or <a href="/s/adversely+affected" target="_blank" rel="alternative">adversely affected.

Can "emotionally scarred" be used for minor setbacks?

It is usually reserved for significant trauma. Using it for small inconveniences might come across as hyperbole. For minor events, consider saying someone was <a href="/s/shaken+up" target="_blank" rel="alternative">shaken up or <a href="/s/upset" target="_blank" rel="alternative">upset.