German Conversation · Level 136
30 words
German word
erschlagen
Pronunciation
IPA/ɛɐ̯ˈʃlaːgn̩/
Meaning
- verbkill
Example
Der Jäger hat den Fuchs erschlagen.
The hunter killed the fox.
More examples
Die schwere Arbeit hat ihn völlig erschlagen.
The heavy work left him completely exhausted.
Core concept
One overwhelming impact removes a person's physical or emotional ability to keep going, and can also bring a living target down permanently.
Common phrases
jemandem den Schädel erschlagen
crush someone's skull
einen Eindringling erschlagen
beat an intruder to death
Similar words
töten: Cause death without specifying the method.
umbringen: Kill a person or animal in a casual, spoken way.
ermorden: Kill a person intentionally, especially through a planned act.
erschießen: Take a life with a firearm.
Definition in German
durch einen Schlag oder heftige Einwirkung töten; übertragen: starke körperliche oder seelische Erschöpfung oder völlige Niedergeschlagenheit verursachen.
Word origin
Erschlagen joins er- with the inherited verb schlagen, which comes from Old High German slahan, 'to strike'; the result ranges from a forceful blow to figurative exhaustion.
Usage tips
- With sein, erschlagen commonly describes extreme fatigue or emotional overwhelm as an adjective, rather than an act of killing.
Other meanings
- beat downverb
- overwhelmverb
- exhaustedadjective
Opposites
- rettenrescueverb
Related words
- Erschlagenerslain personnoun
- Erschlagungfatal beatingnoun