broken
v.v. damaged or in pieces and no longer working. You use this for things like phones, toys, or even a person's heart.
v. damaged or separated into parts as a result of force; no longer functioning correctly. Often used figuratively to describe a person's emotional state or a failed system.
My phone screen is broken after I dropped it.
The mechanic says the engine is broken and will cost a lot of money to fix.
The treaty was seen as a broken promise by the local community, who had expected the government to protect their land from industrial development.
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.
Commonly used as a past participle adjective; when describing bones, it is synonymous with 'fractured'.
The chair is broke.The chair is broken.'Broke' is an informal adjective meaning 'having no money'; 'broken' is the correct form for physical damage.