Meaning & Definition of Broken in English

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

• "A broken mirror"

• "A broken tooth"

• "A broken leg"

• "His neck is broken"

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

• "Broken lines of defense"

• "A broken cable transmission"

• "Broken sleep"

• "Tear off the stub above the broken line"

• "A broken note"

• "Broken sobs"

3. Subdued or brought low in condition or status

• "Brought low"

• "A broken man"

• "His broken spirit"

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

• "Broken (or unkept) promises"

• "Broken contracts"

5. Tamed or trained to obey

• "A horse broken to the saddle"

• "This old nag is well broken in"

6. Topographically very uneven

• "Broken terrain"

• "Rugged ground"

7. Imperfectly spoken or written

• "Broken english"

8. Thrown into a state of disarray or confusion

• "Troops fleeing in broken ranks"

• "A confused mass of papers on the desk"

• "The small disordered room"

• "With everything so upset"

9. Weakened and infirm

• "Broken health resulting from alcoholism"

10. Destroyed financially

• "The broken fortunes of the family"

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

• "A broken washing machine"

• "The coke machine is broken"

• "The coke machine is busted"

12. Discontinuous

• "Broken clouds"

• "Broken sunshine"

13. Lacking a part or parts

• "A broken set of encyclopedia"