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broken
[ broh-kuhn ]
adjective
- reduced to fragments; fragmented.
- ruptured; torn; fractured.
- not functioning properly; out of working order.
- Meteorology. (of sky cover) being more than half, but not totally, covered by clouds. Compare scattered ( def 4 ).
- changing direction abruptly:
The fox ran in a broken line.
- fragmentary or incomplete:
a broken ton of coal weighing 1,500 pounds.
- infringed or violated:
A broken promise is a betrayal of trust.
- interrupted, disrupted, or disconnected:
After the phone call he returned to his broken sleep.
- weakened in strength, spirit, etc.:
His broken health was due to alcoholism.
- tamed, trained, or reduced to submission:
The horse was broken to the saddle.
- imperfectly spoken, as language:
She still speaks broken English.
- spoken in a halting or fragmentary manner, as under emotional strain:
He uttered a few broken words of sorrow.
- (of a relationship) split apart; not intact:
a broken marriage.
- (of a family) disunited or divided by the prolonged or permanent absence of a parent, usually due to divorce or desertion: broken families.
a child from a broken home;
broken families.
- not smooth; rough or irregular:
We left the plains and rode through broken country.
- ruined; bankrupt:
the broken fortunes of his family.
- Papermaking, Printing. a quantity of paper of less than 500 or 1000 sheets.
broken
/ ˈəʊə /
verb
- the past participle of break
adjective
- fractured, smashed, or splintered
a broken vase
- imperfect or incomplete; fragmentary
a broken set of books
- interrupted; disturbed; disconnected
broken sleep
- intermittent or discontinuous
broken sunshine
- varying in direction or intensity, as of pitch
a broken run
a broken note
- not functioning
a broken radio
- spoilt or ruined by divorce (esp in the phrases broken home , broken marriage )
- (of a trust, promise, contract, etc) violated; infringed
- overcome with grief or disappointment
a broken heart
- (of the speech of a foreigner) imperfect in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation
broken English
- Alsobroken-in made tame or disciplined by training
a broken recruit
a broken horse
- exhausted or weakened as through ill-health or misfortune
- confused or disorganized
broken ranks of soldiers
- breached or opened
broken defensive lines
- irregular or rough; uneven
broken ground
- bankrupt or out of money
a broken industry
- (of colour) having a multicoloured decorative effect, as by stippling paint onto a surface
- informal.drunk
Derived Forms
- ˈǰԱ, adverb
Other Word Forms
- k· adverb
- k·Ա noun
- -k adjective
- ɱ-k adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of broken1
Example Sentences
But the following caveat must always apply when assessing Donald Trump and his political fortunes: He has repeatedly broken the limitations, expectations, and force of the “conventional wisdom.”
The attacking phase can be broken down into three stages: the build-up, the construction and the finishing.
"The biggest victory is a broken globalist media that finds itself too frayed to cover our assault on the institutions of America's oppression."
"Our hearts are broken beyond repair. We now only have memories that we'll hold tight forever," she said in a statement via police.
As Tommy’s eyes well up and he runs a wet cloth against Joel’s skin, we get a close-up of Joel’s arm and the old, broken military watch on his wrist.
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