busted
adj.adj. caught doing something wrong or illegal. You also use this to describe something that is broken or no longer works. If you get busted, you are in big trouble.
adj. caught in the act of committing a crime or a prohibited activity; alternatively, damaged or non-functional. Informal in register; frequently used in predicative positions following a linking verb.
He got busted for cheating on the test.
The party was going great until the police arrived and everyone got busted for the noise.
The old generator is completely busted, and since the manufacturer went bankrupt years ago, finding the specific replacement parts has proven nearly impossible.
See bust (Etymology 2)
From bust + -ed. See bust (Etymology 1).
Primarily used as a predicative adjective after 'get' or 'be'.
He was busted by the police for his carHis car was bustedWhen 'busted' means broken, it describes the object itself; when it means caught, it describes the person.