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Synonyms

busted

American  
[buhs-tid] / ˈbʌs tɪd /

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 British  
/ ˈbʌstəd /

adjective

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

    you are so busted
"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

Etymology

Origin of busted

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

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.

Back in 2014, members of both formed "supergroup" McBusted without Busted frontman Charlie Simpson.

From BBC • Oct. 25, 2024

Busted coverage in the left side of Maryland’s secondary left Charlotte receiver Jairus Mack wide open for a 48-yard touchdown on the first drive of the game.

From Washington Times • Sep. 10, 2023

They recently released Year 3000, a collaboration with Busted, the British band who originally released the song in 2002.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2023

And Busted, Bebe Rexha and Blink 182 are set to perform over the next few weeks.

From BBC • Jul. 12, 2023

Busted by Ivory, a hit that sounds and reverber-ates.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

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.