# broken vessel

idiom

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

## Meaning

A person who is destroyed or forgotten, or who feels flawed or broken.

## Examples

- He feels like a broken vessel after losing his job.
- After the scandal, the politician felt like a broken vessel, unable to face his former supporters.
- The aging poet wandered the streets, a broken vessel of lost dreams and forgotten verses, mourning the life he once led.

## Origin

Derived from Old Testament symbolism, in which human beings are likened to clay vessels. The term draws upon the biblical imagery of a container that has lost its utility through damage.

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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.