busted
Americanadjective
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broken, fractured, or seriously damaged.
a busted leg.
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no longer working or operating.
a busted radio.
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penniless or bankrupt; broke.
busted businesses that can’t pay their bills.
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I never talk about my busted marriages.
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in trouble; caught doing something bad or wrong.
I know that’s a lie—you are so busted!
adjective
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.
An orange car pulled into the parking lot, with a busted taillight, and a few members of the group got up and hobbled over.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
Smith said he was once told that Williamson “got busted hiding food under his bed.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026
"But that doctor in there to him was very funny because it gave it this air of authority that he thought that he clearly did not have - especially because he was busted at Oxford."
From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026
The NFL has long been a brutal place for young quarterbacks, who can overnight go from the next big superstar to a busted flush.
From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026
Our heating unit busted right at the start of winter, and luckily we had enough to pay for it without my mom having to deal with another creepy guy.
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
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.
