Definition Synonyms
Definition of broken - Reverso English Dictionary
Adjective
1.
physical damagephysically damaged into pieces or cracked
- The vase was broken after it fell.
2.
not workingdamaged and not functioning
- The broken machine lay abandoned in the corner.
3.
promiseviolated or not kept, as in promises
- She was upset about the broken promise.
4.
interruptioninterrupted or not continuous
- Her broken sleep left her tired.
5.
emotional stateemotionally defeated or dispirited
- He felt broken after the bad news.
6.
- After the investment failed, he was broken.
7.
languageTECH. grammatically incorrect or non-standardTECH.
- He spoke in broken English.
Expressions with broken
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
intense sadness after a romantic breakup
After he moved out, her broken heart kept her from their favorite café.
family where parents are divorced or separated
Children from a broken home may face more emotional challenges.
emotionally devastated person due to hardships
After the loss, he became a broken man.
game where a message is distorted as passed
We played broken telephone at the party.
feel deep sadness from love or loss
She has a broken heart after the breakup.
annoyingly repetitive in speech or behavior
Her reminders are like a broken record, always the same.
end period of good luck or success
Her winning streak ended when the spell was broken.
person who repeats the same thing often
He sounds like a broken record with his complaints.
express that breaking rules is sometimes acceptable or necessary
Rules are made to be broken when creativity is needed.
feeling deeply discouraged and unable to keep trying
After the defeat, the player's spirit is broken.
a sudden release of emotions or events
After the argument, it felt like the dam has broken.
act very carefully to avoid problems
He was walking on broken glass during the negotiations.
state of sadness and disappointment
After the failure, he walked down his own boulevard of broken dreams.
person or thing that is unreliable
He turned out to be a broken reed in crisis.
experience death due to extreme emotional distress
She seemed to die of a broken heart after he left.
container that is damaged or shattered
The broken vessel could no longer hold water.
the illusion or captivating experience ends
The audience felt the spell's broken after the show.
cut or severed
The broken cable lay on the ground, useless.
English spoken with many mistakes
He spoke in broken English, making it hard to understand.
French spoken with many mistakes or limited skill
He tried to order food in broken French.
pieces of glass that are no longer whole
Be careful of the broken glass on the floor.
wing that is damaged or injured
The bird couldn't fly because of its broken wing.
night when sleep is interrupted many times
After a broken night, I felt very tired.
sudden start of conflict or violence between people
Fire has broken out between the two rival groups.
Origin of broken
Old English, brocen (fractured)
Terms with broken included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
material
firm and solid, not easily broken
fragment
small piece broken from a larger object
texture
firm but easily broken or crumbled
repair
mend or repair something broken
material
strong and resilient, not easily broken
food
broken down in the stomach
objects
not broken, clean, and working as it should
failure
having failed or broken
damage
become chipped or have small pieces broken off
maintenance
act of fixing something damaged or broken
damage
physically broken into many small pieces
broken
damaged or unusable
fragile
easily broken or cracked
medical
person who is extremely tired or emotionally broken
pieces
broken into small pieces
food
small broken pieces of frozen water used to chill drinks or food
fragile
easily broken or damaged
light
shine with a bright, broken light
maintenance
kept or maintained so nothing is broken or damaged
fragmentation
broken into smaller parts or fragments
fixing
repair something that is broken or damaged
criminal fugitive
person who has broken the law and is hiding
repair
fix or restore something broken or damaged
maintenance
the process of fixing something that is broken or damaged
Examples of broken in a sentence
She had a broken arm after the accident. The broken clock stopped ticking. She tried to fix the broken radio. He regretted his broken vow. The broken agreement led to a lawsuit. Broken radio signals delayed the rescue.
The conversation continued in broken bursts. She was broken after the relationship ended. The team felt broken after the defeat. He felt broken after losing his job. The company was broken after the market crash. She apologized for her broken Spanish during the trip. The instructions were in broken French, making them hard to follow.
View all translations of broken
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:cassé, en panne, ...
- German:zerbrochen, defekt, ...
- Italian:rotto, guasto, ...
- Spanish:roto, averiado, ...
- Portuguese:partido, avariado, ...
- Chinese:破碎的, 坏了, ...
- Japanese:壊れた, 故障した, ...
- Arabic:مَكْسُور, مُعَطَّل, ...
- Hebrew:שָׁבוּר, מְקוּלְקָל, ...
- Russian:разбитый, неисправный, ...
- Ukrainian:розбитий, несправний, ...
- Hindi:टूटा हुआ, खराब, ...
Definition of break - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
physicaltr./intr. separate into pieces by forcetr./intr.
- He broke the stick in half.
2.
malfunctiontr./intr. cause to stop functioningtr./intr.
- The power surge broke the computer.
3.
violationtr. fail to observe a law or agreementtr.
- He did not break the contract deliberately.
4.
interruptiontr. end a silence or pausetr.
- He broke the silence with a loud laugh.
5.
sportstr. surpass a previous recordtr.
- She broke the world record in swimming.
6.
disclosuretr. make known or publictr.
- The journalist broke the news about the scandal.
7.
emotiontr. cause to lose spirit or willtr.
- The harsh conditions broke the soldiers' spirits.
8.
suddenintr. begin or end suddenlyintr.
- The storm broke after days of calm.
9.
movementintr. change direction suddenlyintr.
- The horse broke to the left unexpectedly.
10.
cryptographytr. TECH. decrypt or solve a codetr. TECH.
- They managed to break the enemy's code.
11.
animaltr. Rare tame or train an animaltr. Rare
- It took months to break the wild horse.
Noun
1.
timeinterruption or pause in continuity
- There was a short break in the meeting to allow everyone to refresh.
2.
vacationUK short holiday or vacationUK
- They went on a weekend break to the mountains.
3.
fractureinstance of something separating into pieces
- The break in the vase was clearly visible.
4.
objectgap or opening in something
- There was a break in the fence allowing the dog to escape.
5.
- He got his big break in the film industry.
6.
escapeact of escaping from confinement
- The prisoners planned a break from the jail.
7.
tennisTECH. game won by the receiving player in tennisTECH.
- She secured a break in the final set.
8.
sportsTECH. first shot in a game of billiards or poolTECH.
- He made a perfect break in the pool game.
Images of break
instance of something separating into pieces
Expressions with break
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
stop working or functioning
The car broke down on the highway.
remove a piece from a whole by force
He decided to break off a branch.
separate into smaller parts or pieces
The ice will break up in spring.
escape from physical confinement or captivity
The prisoner tried to break free from the cell.
not keep a commitment
She broke her promise to call every week.
cause serious injury to someone's neck by force
The villain tried to break the hero's neck during the fight.
pause an activity for a short rest or mental refreshment
Let's take a break and get some fresh air.
end a romantic relationship causing sadness
He broke her heart when he left.
create a new physical trail or route
The hikers decided to break a new path through the forest.
destroy physical walls in a building or structure
They decided to break down the walls to expand the room.
enter by force
Thieves break in by smashing a window.
short period of better weather
We went hiking during a break in the weather.
enter a place illegally by force
The thief tried to break into the house.
end a romantic relationship with someone
She decided to break it off with him.
divide something into smaller parts
Let's break it up into smaller groups.
prevent someone from falling
She reached out to break his fall.
cause someone to feel great sadness
The news of his departure will break her heart.
fail to keep a promise or commitment
He broke his word and didn't show up.
develop pimples or a rash
She tends to break out when stressed.
stop or reduce the force when someone is falling
He used his arms to break her fall.
cause deep emotional pain to someone
She broke his heart when she left him.
cause injury that fractures another person’s leg bone
The reckless tackle nearly broke his leg during the game.
surpass a previously set achievement or performance level
She broke the world record in swimming.
introduce conversation to ease tension
She asked about the weather to break the ice.
Origin of break
Old English, brecan (to break)
Examples of break in a sentence
The machine broke the rock into small pieces. She managed to break the old radio. The phone might break if you drop it. She didn't mean to break the rules. They decided to break the agreement. She broke the awkward pause with a question.
The tension was broken by his sudden comment. He aims to break the national record in running. The athlete trained hard to break the previous record. They broke the story on the evening news. The company broke the announcement to the public. The constant failures began to break his resolve. Her spirit was broken by the relentless criticism. A fire broke out just after midnight. When the applause broke, the speaker began again. The car broke sharply to avoid the obstacle. She broke right to dodge the defender. The team worked tirelessly to break the complex cipher. Can you break this encrypted message? She managed to break the colt in just a few weeks. They hired a professional to break the stubborn mule. We took a break after two hours of work. She needed a break from her daily routine. She took a short break to visit her family. A break in the city was just what they needed. The break in the bone required immediate medical attention. There was a break in the chain that needed fixing. Sunlight streamed through a break in the clouds. The wall has a break near the corner. She finally got her break in the music industry. Winning the contest was his break into modeling. The guard foiled their break before dawn. His break from custody made national news. He managed a break early in the match. The player celebrated a crucial break point. The break determined the pace of the match. His break was strong, scattering the balls widely.
View all translations of break
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:casser, interruption, ...
- German:brechen, Pause, ...
- Italian:rompere, sosta, ...
- Spanish:romper, descanso, ...
- Portuguese:partir, pausa, ...
- Chinese:折断, 休息, ...
- Japanese:折る, 休憩, ...
- Arabic:كَسَرَ, استراحة, ...
- Hebrew:לִשְׁבּוֹר, הַפְסָקָה, ...
- Russian:сломать, перерыв, ...
- Ukrainian:ламати, перерва, ...
- Hindi:तोड़ना, विराम, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the