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View synonyms for broken

broken

[broh-kuhn]

verb

  1. past participle of break.



adjective

  1. reduced to fragments; fragmented.

  2. ruptured; torn; fractured.

  3. not functioning properly; out of working order.

  4. Meteorology.,  (of sky cover) being more than half, but not totally, covered by clouds.

  5. changing direction abruptly.

    The fox ran in a broken line.

  6. fragmentary or incomplete.

    a broken ton of coal weighing 1,500 pounds.

  7. infringed or violated.

    A broken promise is a betrayal of trust.

  8. interrupted, disrupted, or disconnected.

    After the phone call he returned to his broken sleep.

  9. weakened in strength, spirit, etc..

    His broken health was due to alcoholism.

  10. tamed, trained, or reduced to submission.

    The horse was broken to the saddle.

  11. imperfectly spoken, as language.

    She still speaks broken English.

  12. spoken in a halting or fragmentary manner, as under emotional strain.

    He uttered a few broken words of sorrow.

    1. (of a relationship) split apart; not intact.

      a broken marriage.

    2. (of a family) disunited or divided by the prolonged or permanent absence of a parent, usually due to divorce or desertion: broken families.

      a child from a broken home;

      broken families.

  13. not smooth; rough or irregular.

    We left the plains and rode through broken country.

  14. ruined; bankrupt.

    the broken fortunes of his family.

  15. Papermaking, Printing.,  a quantity of paper of less than 500 or 1000 sheets.

broken

/ ˈbrəʊkən /

verb

  1. the past participle of break

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. fractured, smashed, or splintered

    a broken vase

  2. imperfect or incomplete; fragmentary

    a broken set of books

  3. interrupted; disturbed; disconnected

    broken sleep

  4. intermittent or discontinuous

    broken sunshine

  5. varying in direction or intensity, as of pitch

    a broken note

    a broken run

  6. not functioning

    a broken radio

  7. spoilt or ruined by divorce (esp in the phrases broken home , broken marriage )

  8. (of a trust, promise, contract, etc) violated; infringed

  9. overcome with grief or disappointment

    a broken heart

  10. (of the speech of a foreigner) imperfect in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation

    broken English

  11. Also: broken-inmade tame or disciplined by training

    a broken horse

    a broken recruit

  12. exhausted or weakened as through ill-health or misfortune

  13. confused or disorganized

    broken ranks of soldiers

  14. breached or opened

    broken defensive lines

  15. irregular or rough; uneven

    broken ground

  16. bankrupt or out of money

    a broken industry

  17. (of colour) having a multicoloured decorative effect, as by stippling paint onto a surface

  18. informal,  drunk

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • brokenly adverb
  • brokenness noun
  • half-broken adjective
  • well-broken adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of broken1

First recorded in 1350–1400, for the adjective
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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Seven charities have cut ties with Sarah Ferguson since the email - in which she also appeared to apologise for her public criticism of Epstein after claiming to have broken off contact - emerged last Sunday.

From BBC

Bonus points: At what age did you begin pulling the wings off of butterflies, and which, if any, of the 10 Commandments have you not broken?

In a statement read on her behalf by prosecutor Ben Lloyd, Ms Shekaj said she had felt "broken" by the defendants' behaviour during the trial.

From BBC

For some, the Assumption Island deal looks like one broken promise too many.

From BBC

The statue was in several pieces, with heads and knees broken in half.

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