broke
Americanverb
adjective
-
without money; penniless.
- Synonyms:
- impoverished, destitute, insolvent
-
- Synonyms:
- impoverished, destitute, insolvent
noun
-
Papermaking. paper unfit for sale; paper that is to be repulped.
-
brokes, wool of poor quality taken from the neck and belly of sheep.
idioms
-
go broke,
-
to become destitute of money or possessions.
-
to go bankrupt.
In that business people are forever going broke.
-
-
go for broke, to exert oneself or employ one's resources to the utmost.
verb
adjective
-
informal having no money; bankrupt
-
slang to risk everything in a gambling or other venture
Etymology
Origin of broke
First recorded in 1655–65 for the adjective; 1875–80 for the noun
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.
The man accused of murdering influential right-wing campaigner Charlie Kirk broke down in tears of regret days after the killing, according to video testimony played in a US court on Thursday.
From Barron's • Jul. 9, 2026
She said the PM had had initially been supportive of her when the story broke in the Times, before his then chief of staff Morgan McSweeney asked for her resignation.
From BBC • Jul. 9, 2026
The fire was one of three that broke out amid unseasonably warm temperatures in Central and Southern California Tuesday.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
A Rhode Island country club built a wall to protect its golf course—and all hell broke loose.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
The ice made creaking sounds as waves broke over the edge where the boat was moored.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
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.
