broken-down

American  

[broh-kuhn-doun] / ˈbroʊ kənˈdaʊn /

adjective

1. shattered or collapsed, as with age; infirm.

2. having given way with use or age; out of working order.

   a broken-down chair.

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broken-down British  

adjective

1. worn out, as by age or long use; dilapidated

   a broken-down fence

2. not in working order

   a broken-down tractor

3. physically or mentally ill

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Etymology

Origin of broken-down

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

A van driver who crashed into a broken-down car in a smart motorway's fast lane has been found guilty of causing death by careless driving.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

When there is no hard shoulder drivers who get into trouble are meant to aim for refuge areas located at regular points, but broken-down cars can sometimes be left stranded in a live lane.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

Redeveloping Venezuela’s broken-down oil infrastructure will cost tens of billions of dollars at least, and companies likely want assurances their investments will be worth it long-term.

From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026

There was the Picasso of late-19th-century realism; the Picasso of angular, broken-down Cubist shapes; the Picasso of playfully deformed portraits.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Grandpop began, but before he could get into it, the squeak, squeak from Samantha’s house turned into her barking, and the rickety sounds of a nearly broken-down car came up the hill.

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• battered
• decrepit
• ramshackle
• run down