walking wounded
Injured but ambulatory
The walking wounded are people injured but still able to walk—originally military casualties who could move under their own power rather than requiring stretchers.
The phrase extends to anyone functioning despite emotional or psychological damage: The office was full of walking wounded after the layoffs.
It suggests visible struggle beneath surface competence.
Severity-based prioritization
- medicEmergency care provider
- casualtyPerson harmed in disaster
- stretcherPortable frame for casualties
- medevacEmergency air transport injured
field hospital · corpsman · ambulance · evacuation · bandage · tourniquet · aid station · infirmary
Sustained resolve despite obstacles
- fortitudeEnduring courage under pain
- tenacityPersistent grip or resolve
- gritDetermination or abrasive particles
- determinationFirmness of purpose
stamina · endurance · courage · steadfastness · spirit · toughness · mettle · backbone
Post-illness healing phase
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
- healingRestoration of health
- recuperationGradual return to health
- therapyCurative mental treatment
mending · physiotherapy · treatment · nursing · rest · outpatient · ambulatory · limping
Made worse by injury
- scarredMarked by healed wounds
- traumatizedEmotionally damaged by experience
- strugglingExperiencing serious difficulty
- batteredDamaged by repeated blows
bruised · suffering · hurt · functioning · carrying on · shell-shocked · battle-scarred · weary
triage
Severity-based prioritization
medevac · field hospital · corpsman · ambulance · evacuation · bandage · tourniquet · aid station · infirmary · shell shock
perseverance
Sustained resolve despite obstacles
- fortitudeEnduring courage under pain
- tenacityPersistent grip or resolve
- gritDetermination or abrasive particles
determination · stamina · endurance · courage · steadfastness · spirit · toughness · mettle · backbone · pluck
convalescence
Post-illness healing phase
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
- healingRestoration of health
- recuperationGradual return to health
therapy · mending · physiotherapy · treatment · nursing · rest · outpatient · ambulatory · limping · scarred
damaged
Made worse by injury
- scarredMarked by healed wounds
- traumatizedEmotionally damaged by experience
- strugglingExperiencing serious difficulty
battered · bruised · suffering · hurt · functioning · carrying on · shell-shocked · battle-scarred · weary · exhausted
- Triagetriage nurse, triage area, field triage, battlefield triage, telephone triage
- war casualtiescasualties, war casualties, war dead, killed in action, fallen soldiers
walking woundedstretcher cases
Injured requiring prone transport
bedridden · immobilized · incapacitated · dying · comatose
walking woundeduninjured
Free from bodily harm
unwounded · unscathed · able-bodied · healthy · killed in action
walking woundedhealed
Returned to health
thriving · well-adjusted · whole · untraumatized · resilient
walking, wounded, walk, walks, walked, walker, walkers, walkable, walkway