broken

[ broh-kuhn ]

/ ˈbroʊ kən /

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See synonyms for: broken / brokenly / brokenness on Thesaurus.com

verb

past participle of break.

adjective

reduced to fragments; fragmented.

ruptured; torn; fractured.

not functioning properly; out of working order.

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

changing direction abruptly: The fox ran in a broken line.

fragmentary or incomplete: a broken ton of coal weighing 1,500 pounds.

infringed or violated: A broken promise is a betrayal of trust.

interrupted, disrupted, or disconnected: After the phone call he returned to his broken sleep.

weakened in strength, spirit, etc.: His broken health was due to alcoholism.

tamed, trained, or reduced to submission: The horse was broken to the saddle.

imperfectly spoken, as language: She still speaks broken English.

spoken in a halting or fragmentary manner, as under emotional strain: He uttered a few broken words of sorrow.

(of a relationship) split apart; not intact: a broken marriage.
(of a family) disunited or divided by the prolonged or permanent absence of a parent, usually due to divorce or desertion: a child from a broken home; broken families.

not smooth; rough or irregular: We left the plains and rode through broken country.

ruined; bankrupt: the broken fortunes of his family.

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

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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OTHER WORDS FROM broken

bro·ken·ly, adverbbro·ken·ness, nounhalf-broken, adjectivewell-broken, adjective

Words nearby broken

broil, broiler, broiler house, brokage, broke, broken, Broken Arrow, broken-check, broken chord, broken coal, broken consort

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use broken in a sentence

It’s no longer neat and clean, but rather it’s a mess of obsolete content, 404 errors, broken links, and other online debris.
How to teach an old blog new SEO tricks|Tom Pick|August 27, 2020|Search Engine Watch
The ichthyosaur’s fossilized body and head, while well preserved, are detached from one another, hinting that the animal may have died of a broken neck.
This ichthyosaur died after devouring a creature nearly as long as itself|Maria Temming|August 20, 2020|Science News
A week and a half into what has become the most widespread protests against the existing political order, you don’t see broken windows or burned-out cars.
A Proud Belarusian’s Heartbreak|Tracy Moran|August 18, 2020|Ozy
Tweed traveled to the state capital Tallahassee for a drive-around rally to protest the broken system.
Florida’s Unemployment ‘Dream Team’ Helps 50K Tackle a Broken System|Joshua Eferighe|August 16, 2020|Ozy

Performances have resulted in torn Achilles tendons and broken backs.
For Aspiring Performers, The NBA Is The Best Place To Be A Mascot|Josh Planos|July 17, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
His first language was Russian, then he learned Swedish, but chooses to perform in monosyllabic broken English.
The Cult of Yung Lean: ‘I’m Building An Anarchistic Society From the Ground Up’|Marlow Stern|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
His surprise marriage to theater director Sophie Hunter may have broken hearts, but the squeals of delight were even louder.
All Your Internet Boyfriends Are Taken: Gosling, Cumberbatch, and now Joseph Gordon-Levitt|Melissa Leon|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A grand jury investigated but found Foster had broken no law.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
How many husbands, wives, sons, and daughters have we lost to a broken system?
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen|Parker Molloy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And besides, as a nation, we hold this truth to be self-evident: resolutions are made to be broken.
Forget the Resolutions; Try a Few Declarations|Kevin Bleyer|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In less than ten minutes, the bivouac was broken up, and our little army on the march.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
On May 13 Polavieja arrived in Barcelona physically broken, half blind, and with evident traces of a disordered liver.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
Do you want the marriage of your daughter with the rich and Honourable Harry broken?
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
Broken crocks should be strewn upon the tray, and on to this is heaped peaty soil mixed with sand.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin
But I am afraid you would very soon get tired of us, and I ought to tell you, frankly, that our little home is to be—a broken up.
Confidence|Henry James

British Dictionary definitions for broken

broken

/ (ˈbrəʊkən) /

verb

the past participle of break

adjective

fractured, smashed, or splintereda broken vase

imperfect or incomplete; fragmentarya broken set of books

interrupted; disturbed; disconnectedbroken sleep

intermittent or discontinuousbroken sunshine

varying in direction or intensity, as of pitcha broken note; a broken run

not functioninga broken radio

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

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

overcome with grief or disappointmenta broken heart

(of the speech of a foreigner) imperfect in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciationbroken English

Also: broken-in made tame or disciplined by traininga broken horse; a broken recruit

exhausted or weakened as through ill-health or misfortune

confused or disorganizedbroken ranks of soldiers

breached or openedbroken defensive lines

irregular or rough; unevenbroken ground

bankrupt or out of moneya broken industry

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

Southern African informal drunk

Derived forms of broken

brokenly, adverb

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

broken

OTHER WORDS FROM broken

Words nearby broken

Words related to broken

How to use broken in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for broken

Derived forms of broken