Definition of 'broken'
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
4. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
broken
Word Frequency
broken in British English
verb
1. the past participle of break
adjective
7.
not functioning
a broken radio
11.
broken English
13.
18.
19. South Africa informal
drunk
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
brokenly (ˈbrokenly) adverb
Word Frequency
broken in American English
verb transitive, verb intransitive
adjective
see also break7.
bankrupt
9.
not complete
a broken set of Shakespeare's works
11.
subdued and trained; tamed
12. Informal
demoted in rank
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
brokenly (ˈbrokenly)
adverb
brokenness (ˈbrokenness)
noun
Examples of 'broken' in a sentence
broken
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
Trends of
broken
View usage for:
In other languages
broken
British English: broken
/ˈbrəʊkən/ ADJECTIVE
A broken line is not continuous but has gaps in it.
...a broken blue line.
- American English: broken /ˈbroʊkən/
- Arabic: مَكْسور
- Brazilian Portuguese: quebrado
- Chinese: 不连贯的
- Croatian: slomljen
- Czech: rozbitý
- Danish: knækket
- Dutch: gebroken
- European Spanish: discontinuo
- Finnish: rikkinäinen
- French: cassé
- German: zerbrochen
- Greek: σπασμένος
- Italian: interrotto
- Japanese: 壊れた
- Korean: 부서진
- Norwegian: ødelagt
- Polish: połamany
- European Portuguese: quebrado
- Romanian: întrerupt
- Russian: прерывистый
- Latin American Spanish: roto
- Swedish: trasig
- Thai: เส้นประ
- Turkish: kırık
- Ukrainian: зламаний
- Vietnamese: bị vỡ
Browse alphabetically
broken
Related terms of
broken
Source
Definition of broken from the Collins English Dictionary
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
marshal or martial?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
marshal
martial
A fire appeared at our door.
their or they're?
Which version is correct?
steal or steel?
Which version is correct?
boar or bore?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
bore
boar
It’s such a to be sick.
stationary or stationery?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
stationery
stationary
She took a sheet of from the drawer.
Your score:
Word of the day
desertification
Desertification is the process by which a piece of land becomes dry , empty , and unsuitable for growing trees or crops on.
Latest Word Submissions
Bonfire or Guy Fawkes Night
On the night of 4 November 1605 Guy Fawkes, a Catholic, was discovered in an undercroft of the House of Lords guarding a hoard of gunpowder intended to explode the following day at the state opening of Parliament and thereby assassinate the Protestant King James I and annihilate the government.
Read more
COP26
With COP26 currently underway in Glasgow, we look at the large and constantly evolving lexicon of climate change.
Read more
Trick or treat? The eerie etymology behind popular Halloween words
Spooky season has arrived once more! Pumpkins are out in full force and this year, we decided to revisit some of our gruesome lexical offerings with a brand-new look into some of the most popular words and phrases associated with the scariest time of year.
Read more
Collins English Dictionary Apps
Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android.
Read more
Collins Dictionaries for Schools
Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom.
Read more
Word lists
We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots!
Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge!
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
happy or pleased?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
happy
pleased
as Larry
apple or plum?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
apple
plum
the of your eye
guts or socks?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
socks
guts
work your off
stomach or throat?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
throat
stomach
have a frog in your
red or white?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
white
red
a elephant
Your score: