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Meaning of broken in English

  1. Pronunciation

    /ˈbroʊkən/

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  1. Classifying Adjective

    broken

    Definitions

    1. subdued or brought low in condition or status

    Examples

    • « brought low »
    • « a broken man »
    • « his broken spirit »

    Synonyms

    • humble
  2. 2. tamed or trained to obey

    Examples

    • « a horse broken to the saddle »
    • « this old nag is well broken in »

    Synonyms

    • tame
    • tamed
  3. 3. topographically very uneven

    Examples

    • « broken terrain »
    • « rugged ground »

    Synonyms

    • rough
    • unsmooth
  4. 4. imperfectly spoken or written

    Examples

    • « broken English »

    Synonyms

    • imperfect
  5. 5. thrown into a state of disarray or confusion

    Examples

    • « troops fleeing in broken ranks »
    • « a confused mass of papers on the desk »
    • « the small disordered room »
    • « with everything so upset »

    Synonyms

    • disorganized
    • disorganised
  6. 6. weakened and infirm

    Examples

    • « broken health resulting from alcoholism »

    Synonyms

    • impaired
  7. 7. destroyed financially

    Examples

    • « the broken fortunes of the family »

    Synonyms

    • destroyed
  8. 8. out of working order (`busted' is an informal substitute for `broken')

    Examples

    • « a broken washing machine »
    • « the coke machine is broken »
    • « the coke machine is busted »

    Synonyms

    • damaged
  9. 9. discontinuous

    Examples

    • « broken clouds »
    • « broken sunshine »

    Synonyms

    • distributed
  10. 10. lacking a part or parts

    Examples

    • « a broken set of encyclopedia »

    Synonyms

    • incomplete
    • uncomplete
  11. Qualitative Adjective

    broken

    Definitions

    1. physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

    Examples

    • « or legally or emotionally destroyed »
    • « a broken mirror »
    • « a broken tooth »
    • « a broken leg »
    • « his neck is broken »
    • « children from broken homes »
    • « a broken marriage »
    • « a broken heart »

    Synonyms

    • breached
    • busted
    • chipped
    • cracked
    • crumbled
    • fragmented
    • crushed
    • ground
    • dissolved
    • fractured
    • shattered
    • smashed
    • splintered
    • split

    Antonyms

    • unbroken
  12. 2. not continuous in space, time, or sequence or varying abruptly

    Examples

    • « broken lines of defense »
    • « a broken cable transmission »
    • « broken sleep »
    • « tear off the stub above the broken line »
    • « a broken note »
    • « broken sobs »

    Synonyms

    • broken-field
    • dashed
    • dotted
    • fitful
    • interrupted
    • off-and-on(a)
    • halting

    Antonyms

    • unbroken
  13. 3. (especially of promises or contracts) having been violated or disregarded

    Examples

    • « broken (or unkept) promises »
    • « broken contracts »

    Antonyms

    • unbroken
    • kept

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