BROKEN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does broken mean? 

• BROKEN (adjective)
  The adjective BROKEN has 13 senses:

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

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

3. subdued or brought low in condition or status

4. (especially of promises or contracts) having been violated or disregarded

5. tamed or trained to obey

6. topographically very uneven

7. imperfectly spoken or written

8. thrown into a state of disarray or confusion

9. weakened and infirm

10. destroyed financially

11. out of working order ('busted' is an informal substitute for 'broken')

12. discontinuous

13. lacking a part or parts

  Familiarity information: BROKEN used as an adjective is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BROKEN (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

Context example:

his neck is broken

Also:

damaged (harmed or injured or spoiled)

injured (harmed)

imperfect (not perfect; defective or inadequate)

unsound (not sound financially)

Attribute:

integrity; unity; wholeness (an undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting)

Antonym:

unbroken (not broken; whole and intact; in one piece)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Not continuous in space, time, or sequence or varying abruptly

Context example:

broken sobs

Similar:

broken-field (varying in direction suddenly and frequently)

dashed; dotted (having gaps or spaces)

fitful; interrupted; off-and-on (intermittently stopping and starting)

halting (fragmentary or halting from emotional strain)

Also:

discontinuous; noncontinuous (not continuing without interruption in time or space)

Antonym:

unbroken (marked by continuous or uninterrupted extension in space or time or sequence)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Subdued or brought low in condition or status

Synonyms:

broken; crushed; humbled; humiliated; low

Context example:

his broken spirit

Similar:

humble (marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(especially of promises or contracts) having been violated or disregarded

Synonyms:

broken; unkept

Context example:

broken contracts

Domain category:

contract (a binding agreement between two or more persons that is enforceable by law)

Antonym:

unbroken ((especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Tamed or trained to obey

Synonyms:

broken; broken in

Context example:

this old nag is well broken in

Similar:

tame; tamed (brought from wildness into a domesticated state)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Topographically very uneven

Synonyms:

broken; rugged

Context example:

rugged ground

Similar:

rough; unsmooth (having or caused by an irregular surface)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Imperfectly spoken or written

Context example:

broken English

Similar:

imperfect (not perfect; defective or inadequate)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Thrown into a state of disarray or confusion

Synonyms:

broken; confused; disordered; upset

Context example:

with everything so upset

Similar:

disorganised; disorganized (lacking order or methodical arrangement or function)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Weakened and infirm

Context example:

broken health resulting from alcoholism

Similar:

impaired (diminished in strength, quality, or utility)

Sense 10

Meaning:

Destroyed financially

Synonyms:

broken; impoverished; wiped out

Context example:

the broken fortunes of the family

Similar:

destroyed (spoiled or ruined or demolished)

Sense 11

Meaning:

Out of working order ('busted' is an informal substitute for 'broken')

Synonyms:

broken; busted

Context example:

the coke machine is busted

Similar:

damaged (harmed or injured or spoiled)

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

Sense 12

Meaning:

Discontinuous

Context example:

broken sunshine

Similar:

distributed (spread out or scattered about or divided up)

Domain category:

meteorology (the earth science dealing with phenomena of the atmosphere (especially weather))

Sense 13

Meaning:

Lacking a part or parts

Context example:

a broken set of encyclopedia

Similar:

incomplete; uncomplete (not complete or total; not completed)

 Context examples 

His face was all bruised and crushed in, and the bones of the neck were broken.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

In most patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), the part of chromosome 9 with c-ABL has broken off and traded places with part of chromosome 22 to form the BCR-ABL fusion gene.

(ABL1 wt Allele, NCI Dictionary)

I could not put my weight on it, or, at least, I thought I could not put my weight on it; and I felt sure the leg was broken.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The trip was subject to technical problems requiring a return to shore to fix broken equipment.

(Lost 52 Project announces discovery of wrecked sub near Okinawa, Wikinews)

Substance formed when red blood cells are broken down.

(Bilirubin, NCI Dictionary)

The smallest part of a substance that cannot be broken down chemically.

(Atom, NCI Dictionary)

Perhaps during a previous pass through the inner-solar system, or during a distant flyby of Jupiter, a chunk that we now know of as BA14 might have broken off of 252P.

(A 'Tail' of Two Comets, NASA)

Now that the close to 2,240 square-mile (5,800 square kilometers) chunk of ice has broken away, the Larsen C shelf area has shrunk by approximately 10 percent.

(Massive Iceberg Breaks Off from Antarctica, NASA)

Studies have shown that many opioid addictions start in the emergency room, where a patient with a broken bone or another injury is sent home with a prescription for a powerful painkiller.

(Study: Common Painkillers as Effective as Opioids in Hospital Emergency Room, VOA)

How methane gets into the moon's atmosphere has long been of great interest to researchers, as molecules of this gas are broken apart by sunlight on short geological timescales.

(Ocean on Saturn moon could be as salty as the Dead Sea, NASA)