broken

[ broh-kuh n ]

/ ˈbroʊ kən /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR broken ON THESAURUS.COM

verb

past participle of break.

adjective

reduced to fragments; fragmented.

ruptured; torn; fractured.

not functioning properly; out of working order.

Meteorology. (of sky cover) being more than half, but not totally, covered by clouds. Compare scattered(def 4).

changing direction abruptly: The fox ran in a broken line.

fragmentary or incomplete: a broken ton of coal weighing 1,500 pounds.

infringed or violated: A broken promise is a betrayal of trust.

interrupted, disrupted, or disconnected: After the phone call he returned to his broken sleep.

weakened in strength, spirit, etc.: His broken health was due to alcoholism.

tamed, trained, or reduced to submission: The horse was broken to the saddle.

imperfectly spoken, as language: She still speaks broken English.

spoken in a halting or fragmentary manner, as under emotional strain: He uttered a few broken words of sorrow.

(of a relationship) split apart; not intact: a broken marriage.
(of a family) disunited or divided by the prolonged or permanent absence of a parent, usually due to divorce or desertion: a child from a broken home; broken families.

not smooth; rough or irregular: We left the plains and rode through broken country.

ruined; bankrupt: the broken fortunes of his family.

Papermaking, Printing. a quantity of paper of less than 500 or 1000 sheets.

OTHER WORDS FROM broken

bro·ken·ly, adverb bro·ken·ness, noun half-bro·ken, adjective well-bro·ken, adjective

Words nearby broken

broil, broiler, broiler house, brokage, broke, broken, broken arrow, broken coal, broken consort, broken field, broken heart

Example sentences from the Web for brokenness

And yet, her own brokenness over her failures is written in such a way that the audience is implicated in them.

The Feminist Aesthetic of ‘Happy Valley’: A Refusal to Eroticize Violence Against Women |Batya Ungar-Sargon |August 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The brokenness of the political system drives the former, and helplessness drives the latter.

The Awful Apps That Let You Vote With Your Wallet |Tim Mak |August 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But first he kissed the ordaining hands, anointed as they had been to cast out evil from the heart and to bind up its brokenness.

St. Cuthbert's |Robert E. Knowles
It is this brokenness, and continued breaking down, that is expressed by the word contrition.

Holy in Christ |Andrew Murray

One special want of the present moment is brokenness of spirit.

The All-Sufficiency of Christ |Charles Henry Mackintosh
Our brokenness and openness must be two-way, horizontal as well as vertical, with one another as with God.

The Calvary Road |Roy Hession
Nor was this submission the effect of content, but of mere stupefaction and brokenness of heart.

The History of England from the Accession of James II. |Thomas Babington Macaulay

British Dictionary definitions for brokenness

broken

/ (ˈbrəʊkən) /

verb

the past participle of break

adjective

fractured, smashed, or splintered a broken vase

imperfect or incomplete; fragmentary a broken set of books

interrupted; disturbed; disconnected broken sleep

intermittent or discontinuous broken sunshine

varying in direction or intensity, as of pitch a broken note; a broken run

not functioning a broken radio

spoilt or ruined by divorce (esp in the phrases broken home, broken marriage)

(of a trust, promise, contract, etc) violated; infringed

overcome with grief or disappointment a broken heart

(of the speech of a foreigner) imperfect in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation broken English

Also: broken-in made tame or disciplined by training a broken horse; a broken recruit

exhausted or weakened as through ill-health or misfortune

confused or disorganized broken ranks of soldiers

breached or opened broken defensive lines

irregular or rough; uneven broken ground

bankrupt or out of money a broken industry

(of colour) having a multicoloured decorative effect, as by stippling paint onto a surface

Southern African informal drunk

Derived forms of broken

brokenly, adverb

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

broken

verb

adjective

OTHER WORDS FROM broken

Words nearby broken

Example sentences from the Web for brokenness

British Dictionary definitions for brokenness

verb

adjective

Derived forms of broken

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

broken

verb

adjective

OTHER WORDS FROM broken

Words nearby broken

Words related to brokenness

Example sentences from the Web for brokenness

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for brokenness

verb

adjective

Derived forms of broken

British Dictionary definitions for brokenness