Broken: meaning, definitions and examples

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broken

 

[ ˈbrəʊkən ]

Adjective / Verb
Oxford 3000
Context #1 | Adjective

heart

Having been fractured or damaged, no longer in one piece.

Synonyms

damaged, fractured, shattered

Examples of usage

  • My heart felt broken after the breakup.
  • She dropped the vase, and it shattered into broken pieces.
  • The broken window let the cold air into the room.
Context #2 | Verb

promise

Past participle of break; separated into pieces as a result of force.

Synonyms

disrupted, shattered, violated

Examples of usage

  • She had broken her promise to never lie again.
  • The criminal had broken into the house while the owners were away.

Translations

Translations of the word "broken" in other languages:

🇵🇹 quebrado

🇮🇳 टूटा हुआ

🇩🇪 gebrochen

🇮🇩 pecah

🇺🇦 зламаний

🇵🇱 złamany

🇯🇵 壊れた (kowareta)

🇫🇷 cassé

🇪🇸 roto

🇹🇷 kırık

🇰🇷 부서진 (buseojin)

🇸🇦 مكسور (maksour)

🇨🇿 rozbitý

🇸🇰 zlomený

🇨🇳 破碎的 (pòsuì de)

🇸🇮 zlomljen

🇮🇸 brotinn

🇰🇿 сынған

🇬🇪 გატეხილი (gatekhili)

🇦🇿 qırılmış

🇲🇽 roto

Etymology

The word 'broken' comes from the Middle English 'broke(n)', past participle of 'breken', which in turn comes from Old English 'brecan'. The sense of 'not functioning properly' dates back to the 16th century. Over time, 'broken' has evolved to encompass physical, emotional, and abstract meanings.

See also: broke.

Word Frequency Rank

This word ranks #1,517, placing it within important intermediate vocabulary. Learning it will significantly improve your ability to express yourself in English.