broken
- 01 A2 Elementary
adj.damaged and no longer in one piece.
adj.physically separated into fragments or having a fractured structure.
Simple“He tried to glue the broken pieces of the vase back together.”
In context“The floor was littered with broken glass after the window shattered during the storm.”
- 02 A2 Elementary
adj.not functioning correctly, like a machine or a tool.
adj.not functioning properly; out of order due to mechanical or electronic failure.
Simple“The elevator is broken, so we will have to take the stairs.”
In context“The technician explained that the server was broken beyond repair and would need a total replacement.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
adj.used to describe a promise or a rule that was not followed.
adj.violated or not observed; typically used of promises, laws, or contracts.
Simple“A broken promise can make it very hard to trust someone again.”
In context“The lawsuit was based on a series of broken agreements regarding the distribution of the company's profits.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.feeling very sad and having no hope left.
adj.crushed in spirit; completely defeated or dispirited.
Simple“He was a broken man after losing his job and his home in the same week.”
In context“The long years of isolation left her feeling broken and unable to reconnect with her former colleagues.”
Synonyms - 05 C1 Advanced
adj.used in games to describe something that is too strong and unfair.
adj.describing a game mechanic or character that is excessively powerful, disrupting the balance of play.
Simple“The new character in the game is totally broken and needs to be changed.”
In context“Competitive players complained that the latest patch introduced a broken weapon that made defensive strategies impossible.”
Teacher's tipCommon in gaming communities; learners should use 'overpowered' in more formal discussions about balance.
SynonymsAntonyms - 06 A2 Elementary
v.the form of 'break' used with 'have' or 'be'.
v.the past participle of the irregular verb 'break'.
Simple“I have broken my glasses and I cannot see the screen.”
In context“By the time the police arrived, the thieves had already broken into the vault and escaped through the back exit.”
UsageUsed to form the present perfect and past perfect tenses, as well as the passive voice.
Usage broken leg · broken plumbing · broken records
From Middle English broken, from Old English brocen, ġebrocen, from Proto-Germanic brukanaz, past participle of Proto-Germanic brekaną (“to break”). Cognate with Dutch gebroken (“broken”), German Low German broken (“broken”), German gebrochen (“broken”). Morphologically broke + -n.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.