# broken reed

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/broken-reed
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Something or someone very fragile or unreliable.

## Examples

- Do not trust him, he is a broken reed.
- I hoped my old car would get me to the city, but it proved a broken reed and stopped halfway.
- The politician realized that his former allies were a broken reed when they refused to support his new policy.

## Origin

From broken + reed (with reference to the quotation in 1611, see below).

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.