wanted / in demand / contrived
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wanted
Describes a person or thing that is being actively searched for, often by official authorities such as the police.
Der von der Polizei gesuchte Dieb wurde gestern Abend gefasst.
The thief wanted by the police was caught yesterday evening.
in demand
Describes something or someone that is highly sought after and popular.
Fachkräfte in der IT-Branche sind momentan besonders gesucht.
Skilled workers in the IT industry are especially in demand at the moment.
contrived
Describes a way of speaking, a style, or behavior that seems artificial, unnatural, or overly forced.
Sein Humor wirkt oft sehr gesucht und nicht spontan.
His humor often seems very contrived and not spontaneous.
'Gesucht' (wanted/sought) is the past participle of the verb 'suchen' (to search). All meanings derive from the idea that something or someone is 'gesucht wird' (being searched for): by the police, by employers, or as an artificial linguistic expression.
Das ist die meistgesuchte Information auf unserer Webseite.
That is the most searched-for information on our website.
The context tells you which meaning is intended. In connection with crime, it means 'being pursued by the police'. In a job or product context, it means 'very in demand'. With style or behavior, it means 'contrived'.
Der gesuchte Mann konnte am Flughafen identifiziert werden.
The wanted man was identified at the airport.
In the meaning of 'gefragt sein' (to be in demand), 'gesucht' (in demand) is often intensified with adverbs such as 'dringend' (urgently), 'sehr' (very), or 'besonders' (especially). Common nouns are 'Fachkräfte' (skilled workers), 'Mitarbeiter' (employees), or 'Spezialisten' (specialists).
Für das Projekt werden dringend erfahrene Programmierer gesucht.
Experienced programmers are urgently needed for the project.
When something seems 'gekünstelt' (artificial), 'gesucht' (contrived) often describes abstract nouns such as 'Humor' (humor), 'Witz' (joke), 'Formulierung' (wording), or 'Ausdrucksweise' (way of expressing oneself). Here it has a clearly negative meaning.
Seine Rede war voller gesuchter Metaphern und wirkte unnatürlich.
His speech was full of contrived metaphors and seemed unnatural.
sought-after
Both words can describe something that many people want. Begehrt places greater emphasis on attractiveness and people’s desire to have something, while gesucht highlights the active demand for or search for something. Use “begehrt” when the thing seems particularly attractive, and “gesucht” when many people are looking for it.
Die helle Wohnung mit dem kleinen Garten wird von vielen Familien dringend gesucht.
Many families are urgently looking for the bright apartment with the small garden.
Die helle Wohnung mit dem kleinen Garten ist bei Familien sehr begehrt.
The bright apartment with the small garden is highly sought-after by families.
