Showing results for "broke"

• past participle of break.
• past tense form of break.

broke

American  

[brohk] / broʊk /

verb

1. a simple past tense of break.

2. Nonstandard. a past participle of break.

3. Archaic. a past participle of break.

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adjective

1. without money; penniless.

   Synonyms:

   impoverished, destitute, insolvent

2. bankrupt.

   Synonyms:

   impoverished, destitute, insolvent

noun

1. Papermaking. paper unfit for sale; paper that is to be repulped.

2. brokes, wool of poor quality taken from the neck and belly of sheep.

idioms

1. go broke,

   1. to become destitute of money or possessions.

   2. to go bankrupt.

      In that business people are forever going broke.

2. go for broke, to exert oneself or employ one's resources to the utmost.

broke British  

/ brəʊk /

verb

1. the past tense of break

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adjective

1. informal having no money; bankrupt

2. slang to risk everything in a gambling or other venture

broke More Idioms  

1. see flat broke; go broke; go for (broke); if it ain't broke don't fix it. Also see under break.

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Etymology

Origin of broke

First recorded in 1655–65 for the adjective; 1875–80 for the noun

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

broke

I wrote about this same phenomenon in early 2024, when the S&P 500 finally broke through its previous record.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

"Being told that I wouldn't be able to have my own children, I broke down and cried," she said.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Oman, which says it is a neutral country in this conflict, has suffered a number of strikes from Iran since the conflict broke out.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Bulldozers broke ground earlier this month on the public lands that blend desert, river and mountain ecosystems and are home to the famed Santa Elena Canyon.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

Wolf’s desperate tugging on the leash broke her panic.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Related Words

• bankrupt
• destitute
• insolvent
• penniless