cracked
Americanadjective
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broken.
a container full of cracked ice.
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broken without separation of parts; fissured.
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damaged; injured.
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Informal. eccentric; mad; daffy.
a charming person, but a bit cracked.
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broken in tone, as the voice.
idioms
adjective
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damaged by cracking
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informal crazy
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cracked
First recorded in 1400–50, cracked is from the late Middle English word crachyd. See crack, -ed 2
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.
His hands were shaking as he added his own story to the chorus of his fellow New Yorkers, and his voice cracked when he raised it for emphasis.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
“There are also reports of damaged and cracked concrete in between several of these homes,” the department stated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The KGB, which never cracked the cipher, probably felt it had won at the moment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Major rivers including the Rhine, the Danube and the Loire have been reduced to fractions of their normal flows, leaving behind cracked earth and dead fish, while hammering economies.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
One of the windows was cracked and carefully patched with paper and tape.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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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.