challenged
challenged — adjective
- challengedpositive
- more challengedcomparative
- most challengedsuperlative
1. describes someone whose long-term illness or impairment makes everyday tasks har
describes someone whose long-term illness or impairment makes everyday tasks harder — a polite label often chosen instead of older words like 'handicapped' or 'disabled'.
The new sports centre has special equipment for physically challenged athletes.
physically challenged + noun describing a person/group
Mei-Lin volunteers at a school that supports visually challenged children.
visually challenged + noun (compound modifier)
The theatre offers audio descriptions for hearing-challenged audience members.
Javier's organisation provides job training for people who are mentally challenged.
- disabled
the currently preferred, more direct term in most communities
- handicapped
older term, now often considered insensitive
- impaired
typically used in fixed phrases like 'visually impaired'; more clinical in tone
- able-bodied
describes someone without physical disabilities
文法句型
be + challenged
physically/visually/hearing-challenged + noun
用法筆記
Increasingly seen as dated or overly euphemistic by disability-rights advocates, who generally prefer 'disabled' or 'person with a disability'. Most common in fixed compounds (e.g. 'visually challenged') rather than as a standalone predicate.
常見錯誤
2. less able or successful than most other people in a particular area, because of
less able or successful than most other people in a particular area, because of a lack of skill, experience, resources, or a physical limitation.
Keiko felt socially challenged after moving to a country whose language she did not know.
socially challenged — describing a situational difficulty
The charity provides free meals for economically challenged families during the winter.
Amara is athletically challenged but she still enjoys hiking on weekends with friends.
The school offers extra tutoring for students who are challenged in reading and writing.
- disadvantaged
more neutral and widely accepted, especially for economic/financial contexts
- underprivileged
stronger term, usually about lack of social or economic advantages
- struggling
more direct and less euphemistic
- advantaged
having more resources, skills, or opportunities than others
- gifted
having natural talent or ability in an area
文法句型
be + challenged + in + noun phrase
be + challenged + when + clause
用法筆記
When applied to non-disability contexts (e.g. 'socially challenged', 'economically challenged'), this sense is often perceived as a mild euphemism or even humour. Avoid using it to describe trivial difficulties, as it may sound sarcastic.