bankrupt

American  

[bangk-ruhpt, -ruhpt] / ˈbæŋk rʌpt, -rəpt /

noun

1. Law. a person who upon their own petition or that of their creditors is adjudged insolvent by a court and whose property is administered for and divided among their creditors under a bankruptcy law.

2. any insolvent debtor; a person unable to satisfy any just claims made upon them.

3. a person who is lacking in a particular thing or quality.

   a moral bankrupt.

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adjective

1. Law. subject to or under legal process because of insolvency; insolvent.

   Synonyms:

   impoverished, destitute

2. at the end of one's resources; lacking (usually followed by of orin ).

   bankrupt of compassion;

   bankrupt in good manners.

3. related to the act or process of being adjudged insolvent by a court and having one's property andministered for and divided among one's creditors.

verb (used with object)

1. to make insolvent.

   His embezzlement bankrupted the company.

bankrupt British  

/ ˈbæŋkrʌpt, -rəpt /

noun

1. a person adjudged insolvent by a court, his or her property being transferred to a trustee and administered for the benefit of his creditors

2. any person unable to discharge all his or her debts

3. a person whose resources in a certain field are exhausted or nonexistent

   a spiritual bankrupt

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adjective

1. adjudged insolvent

2. financially ruined

3. depleted in resources or having completely failed

   spiritually bankrupt

4. (foll by of) lacking

   bankrupt of intelligence

verb

1. (tr) to make bankrupt

Other Word Forms

• pseudobankrupt adjective
• quasi-bankrupt adjective

Etymology

Origin of bankrupt

First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin banca rupta “bank broken”; replacing adaptations of Italian banca rota and French banqueroute in same sense

Explanation

You might not have any money in your pocket, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you are bankrupt. It takes a legal proceeding for the courts to declare a person bankrupt — or officially unable to pay his debts. Despite the word bank in bankrupt, the word can be used to describe an entity that is short of something other than money. A bankrupt nation might not have the natural resources for its people to produce goods. A nearby country that could easily help but chooses not to may be considered morally bankrupt because of its lack of compassion. Or, maybe there is more to the story. That nation might fear that helping another will bankrupt its own shaky economy. (That is how bankrupt can be used as a verb.)

Example Sentences

Donovan, 44, played 15 seasons with the Galaxy and San José Earthquakes, arguably saving MLS by returning from an unsuccessful stint in Germany at a time when the league was in danger of going bankrupt.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Complications arose when my employer went bankrupt and was acquired by a new company.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

He said the company went bankrupt through “endless litigation.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

"Worcestershire, I have to say, we took minority control of a virtually bankrupt council, I wish we hadn't bothered," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

After a century of war, Volantis found herself broken, bankrupt, and depopulated.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Related Words

• broke
• destitute
• failed
• insolvent