# broken

/ˈbɹoʊkən/ (US) · /bɹˈəʊkən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/broken
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. damaged or in pieces

adjective · CEFR A2

damaged and no longer in one piece.

For teachers: physically separated into fragments or having a fractured structure.

- He tried to glue the broken pieces of the vase back together.
- The floor was littered with broken glass after the window shattered during the storm.

### 2. not working

adjective · CEFR A2

not functioning correctly, like a machine or a tool.

For teachers: not functioning properly; out of order due to mechanical or electronic failure.

- The elevator is broken, so we will have to take the stairs.
- The technician explained that the server was broken beyond repair and would need a total replacement.

### 3. not kept

adjective · CEFR B1

used to describe a promise or a rule that was not followed.

For teachers: violated or not observed; typically used of promises, laws, or contracts.

- A broken promise can make it very hard to trust someone again.
- The lawsuit was based on a series of broken agreements regarding the distribution of the company's profits.

### 4. sad and defeated

adjective · CEFR B2

feeling very sad and having no hope left.

For teachers: crushed in spirit; completely defeated or dispirited.

- He was a broken man after losing his job and his home in the same week.
- The long years of isolation left her feeling broken and unable to reconnect with her former colleagues.

### 5. overly powerful

adjective · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

used in games to describe something that is too strong and unfair.

For teachers: describing a game mechanic or character that is excessively powerful, disrupting the balance of play.

- The new character in the game is totally broken and needs to be changed.
- Competitive players complained that the latest patch introduced a broken weapon that made defensive strategies impossible.

Teaching tip: Common in gaming communities; learners should use 'overpowered' in more formal discussions about balance.

### 6. past participle of break

verb · CEFR A2

the form of 'break' used with 'have' or 'be'.

For teachers: the past participle of the irregular verb 'break'.

- I have broken my glasses and I cannot see the screen.
- By the time the police arrived, the thieves had already broken into the vault and escaped through the back exit.

Usage: Used to form the present perfect and past perfect tenses, as well as the passive voice.

## Examples

- 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.

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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.