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.
After disappearing in 1993, Messina Denaro managed to elude authorities for the next 30 years as the Italian state cracked down on the Sicilian mob.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
He said the team thought it had "cracked it" on Friday, but a pipe coming off on Sunday was time-consuming to fix "and then you lose the weather window".
From BBC • May 17, 2026
Many of Swann’s readers admit a similar skepticism until they cracked her book’s spine and discovered they couldn’t put it down.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
L.A. streets are broken, and mayoral debates aren’t what they’re cracked up to be.
From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2026
“Perhaps the tarte Philippe is not all it is cracked up to be,” she nearly said, for she did feel sorry for poor Lady Constance and wished to comfort her.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
