broken
Americanverb
adjective
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reduced to fragments; fragmented.
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ruptured; torn; fractured.
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not functioning properly; out of working order.
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Meteorology. (of sky cover) being more than half, but not totally, covered by clouds.
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changing direction abruptly.
The fox ran in a broken line.
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fragmentary or incomplete.
a broken ton of coal weighing 1,500 pounds.
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infringed or violated.
A broken promise is a betrayal of trust.
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interrupted, disrupted, or disconnected.
After the phone call he returned to his broken sleep.
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weakened in strength, spirit, etc..
His broken health was due to alcoholism.
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tamed, trained, or reduced to submission.
The horse was broken to the saddle.
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imperfectly spoken, as language.
She still speaks broken English.
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spoken in a halting or fragmentary manner, as under emotional strain.
He uttered a few broken words of sorrow.
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(of a relationship) split apart; not intact.
a broken marriage.
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(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.
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not smooth; rough or irregular.
We left the plains and rode through broken country.
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ruined; bankrupt.
the broken fortunes of his family.
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Papermaking, Printing. a quantity of paper of less than 500 or 1000 sheets.
verb
adjective
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fractured, smashed, or splintered
a broken vase
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imperfect or incomplete; fragmentary
a broken set of books
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interrupted; disturbed; disconnected
broken sleep
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intermittent or discontinuous
broken sunshine
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varying in direction or intensity, as of pitch
a broken note
a broken run
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not functioning
a broken radio
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spoilt or ruined by divorce (esp in the phrases broken home , broken marriage )
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(of a trust, promise, contract, etc) violated; infringed
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overcome with grief or disappointment
a broken heart
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(of the speech of a foreigner) imperfect in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation
broken English
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Also: broken-in. made tame or disciplined by training
a broken horse
a broken recruit
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exhausted or weakened as through ill-health or misfortune
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confused or disorganized
broken ranks of soldiers
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breached or opened
broken defensive lines
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irregular or rough; uneven
broken ground
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bankrupt or out of money
a broken industry
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(of colour) having a multicoloured decorative effect, as by stippling paint onto a surface
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informal drunk
Other Word Forms
- brokenly adverb
- brokenness noun
- half-broken adjective
- well-broken adjective
Etymology
Origin of broken
First recorded in 1350–1400, for the adjective
Explanation
Something that's broken is severely damaged — it's either split into pieces or doesn't work anymore. Your broken alarm clock is no help at all when you're trying to get to school on time! If your arm is broken, the bone is physically damaged and needs time to heal before you can use it the way you normally do. And if your mom's favorite teapot is broken after being dropped on the floor, it may be beyond repair. Other things can be metaphorically broken, like a family split by divorce, speech that's not fluent, or your heart: "It's sad that you guys split up, but you're not going to die of a broken heart."
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.
Records are there to be broken, but that figure has stood as football's most expensive sum for almost a decade now and it is hard to see anyone topping it soon.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
"This cursed ceasefire has broken us. There is no light at the end of the tunnel," said Saghar, 39.
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
Now the two sides are in a veritable shootout, marked by dueling proxy statements, accusations of broken confidentiality agreements and at least seven advisory firms billing hours on both sides of the Atlantic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
These days, al-Qaida is broken up into several affiliates in sometimes overlapping geographical areas: the Sahel, North and West Africa; Syria; Somalia; Yemen; and finally, a very small group in South Asia.
From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026
His first day on his own, and he’d broken every one.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
