walking wounded
Americannoun
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casualties, as of a military conflict, who are wounded but ambulatory.
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Informal. persons who have been damaged or defeated psychologically or emotionally by their experiences in life.
Etymology
Origin of walking wounded
First recorded in 1915–20
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The problem was that his series of tweaks and fiddles had turned his team into a barely coherent collection of walking wounded and players lined up out of position.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
Thomas and two others took "the walking wounded" to get help in their farm buggy.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
Supposedly the ultimate check on power, many became the walking wounded, moving by instinct with a hand on the shoulder of the person ahead of them, like soldiers in the first world war.
From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2026
But right now, they note, so many of the nation's buildings, bridges, tunnels and dams are among the walking wounded that the first priority should be setting up a triage system.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 30, 2024
He stumbled about the house for days like one of the walking wounded.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
