busted

[ buhs-tid ]

adjective

1. broken, fractured, or seriously damaged:

   a busted leg.

2. no longer working or operating:

   a busted radio.

3. penniless or bankrupt; broke:

   busted businesses that can’t pay their bills.

4. failed:

   I never talk about my busted marriages.

5. in trouble; caught doing something bad or wrong:

   I know that’s a lie—you are so busted!

busted

/ ˈbʌstəd /

adjective

1. informal.
   caught out doing something wrong and therefore in trouble

   you are so busted

Word History and Origins

Origin of busted¹

First recorded in 1835–40; bust ²( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

Video of the crash site shows a red SUV busted through a guardrail on Sawtelle Boulevard and into the side of the house.

From Los Angeles Times

Police in Italy say they have busted a major European criminal network forging and selling artworks by some of the biggest names in modern art.

From BBC

The rhesus macaque fugitives busted out of Alpha Genesis, a company that breeds primates for medical testing and research, and are on the loose in a part of the state known as the Lowcountry.

From BBC

“I’m like this belt,” Griffin said, picking up her busted Valentino accessory and holding it up to the audience.

From Salon

It’s all kinda, sorta happening, but Kaplan is struggling with writer’s block and a busted heating unit, among other disturbances both domestic and global.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• collapsed
• cracked
• crumbled
• crushed
• damaged
• defective
• demolished
• destroyed
• fractured
• fragmented
• injured
• mangled
• mutilated
• ruptured
• severed
• shattered
• smashed
• splintered