# cactus

/ˈkæktəs/ (US) · /kˈæktəs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cactus
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. the desert plant

noun · CEFR A2

a plant with sharp spines and thick stems that can live in very dry places without much water.

For teachers: any succulent plant of the family Cactaceae, native to the Americas and adapted to arid environments by storing water in fleshy stems.

- You should not water a cactus too often because it is used to dry soil.
- The botanical garden features a diverse collection of cacti, ranging from tiny flowering species to the massive saguaro of the Sonoran Desert.

### 2. broken or dead

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal · Dialect · Slang

something that is broken, finished, or no longer working.

For teachers: describing an object that is non-functional or a person who is utterly exhausted.

- My old car is finally cactus; the engine won't even start anymore.
- After hiking for twelve hours straight through the bush, the entire group was absolutely cactus.

Usage: Used as a predicate adjective, meaning it follows a verb like 'is' or 'looks'.

Teaching tip: This sense is specific to Australian and New Zealand English; using it elsewhere may cause confusion.

## Examples

- The cactus sits in the sunny corner.
- She bought a small cactus for her desk because it needs very little water.
- The saguaro cactus dominates the Sonoran Desert landscape, standing as a silent witness to the harsh beauty of the arid environment.

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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.