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.
'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.
natural / of course
'natürlich' and 'gesucht' form a contrast when you talk about style, language, or behavior. 'natürlich' feels genuine, simple, and not exaggerated. 'gesucht', on the other hand, feels contrived, overly forced, or unnecessarily complicated. You might say someone speaks naturally when the words sound appropriate and sincere. 'gesucht' fits when an expression is meant to sound especially original, but ends up sounding unnatural.
Der Titel des Textes klingt gesucht und passt nicht zum einfachen Inhalt.
The title of the text sounds contrived and does not fit the simple content.
Die Nachbarin erklärt die Aufgabe in einfachen, natürlichen Worten.
The neighbor explains the task in simple, natural words.