ripped

The primary modern sense of 'ripped' as describing a muscular physique is a metaphorical extension from its original meaning of being torn. The verb 'rip', emerging in English during the 15th century, carries the core idea of forceful separation. Applying this to muscles visualizes them as sharply defined, as if they have been 'torn' or carved out from the body. The slang usage for being intoxicated follows a similar figurative path, suggesting a state where one's normal faculties or composure have been 'torn apart'. The suffix '-ed' solidifies these verbal actions into descriptive adjectival states.

Structure: rip (to tear) + ped (adjective suffix) 'rip' is of uncertain origin, likely from a Low German or Dutch source, meaning to tear apart. '-ped' is a variant of the past participle suffix '-ed', used to form adjectives from verbs.