broken

A1
Pronunciation
/ˈbɹəʊkən/
Verb
40 definition(s)
1 Definition

To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.

Example Sentences
  • If the vase falls to the floor, it might break.
2 Definition

To divide (something, often money) into smaller units.

Example Sentences
  • Can you break a hundred-dollar bill for me?
3 Definition

To cause (a person or animal) to lose spirit or will; to crush the spirits of.

Example Sentences
  • Her child's death broke Angela.
4 Definition

To be crushed, or overwhelmed with sorrow or grief.

Example Sentences
  • My heart is breaking.
5 Definition

To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or terminate.

Example Sentences
  • I had won four games in a row, but now you've broken my streak of luck.
6 Definition

To ruin financially.

Example Sentences
  • The recession broke some small businesses.
7 Definition

To violate, to not adhere to.

Example Sentences
  • He broke his vows by cheating on his wife.
8 Definition

(of a fever) To pass the most dangerous part of the illness; to go down, in terms of temperature.

Example Sentences
  • Susan's fever broke at about 3 AM, and the doctor said the worst was over.
9 Definition

(of a spell of settled weather) To end.

Example Sentences
  • The forecast says the hot weather will break by midweek.
10 Definition

(of a storm) To begin; to end.

Example Sentences
  • Around midday the storm broke, and the afternoon was calm and sunny.
11 Definition

(of morning, dawn, day etc.) To arrive.

Example Sentences
  • Morning has broken.
12 Definition

To render (a game) unchallenging by altering its rules or exploiting loopholes or weaknesses in them in a way that gives a player an unfair advantage.

Example Sentences
  • Changing the rules to let white have three extra queens would break chess.
13 Definition

To stop, or to cause to stop, functioning properly or altogether.

Example Sentences
  • Did you two break the trolley by racing with it?
14 Definition

To cause (a barrier) to no longer bar.

Example Sentences
  • break a seal
15 Definition

To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to pierce.

Example Sentences
  • The cavalry were not able to break the British squares.
16 Definition

(of a wave of water) To collapse into surf, after arriving in shallow water.

17 Definition

To burst forth; to make its way; to come into view.

18 Definition

To interrupt or cease one's work or occupation temporarily.

Example Sentences
  • Let's break for lunch.
19 Definition

To interrupt (a fall) by inserting something so that the falling object does not (immediately) hit something else beneath.

Example Sentences
  • He survived the jump out the window because the bushes below broke his fall.
20 Definition

To disclose or make known an item of news, etc.

Example Sentences
  • I don't know how to break this to you, but your cat is not coming back.
21 Definition

(of a sound) To become audible suddenly.

22 Definition

To change a steady state abruptly.

Example Sentences
  • His coughing broke the silence.
23 Definition

To suddenly become.

Example Sentences
  • The arrest was standard, when suddenly the suspect broke ugly.
24 Definition

Of a male voice, to become deeper at puberty.

25 Definition

Of a voice, to alter in type due to emotion or strain: in men generally to go up, in women sometimes to go down; to crack.

Example Sentences
  • His voice breaks when he gets emotional.
26 Definition

To surpass or do better than (a specific number), to do better than (a record), setting a new record.

Example Sentences
  • He broke the men's 100-meter record.
27 Definition

:

28 Definition

(most often in the passive tense) To demote, to reduce the military rank of.

29 Definition

To end (a connection), to disconnect.

Example Sentences
  • I couldn't hear a thing he was saying, so I broke the connection and called him back.
30 Definition

(of an emulsion) To demulsify.

31 Definition

To counter-attack

32 Definition

To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or communicate.

33 Definition

To become weakened in constitution or faculties; to lose health or strength.

34 Definition

To fail in business; to become bankrupt.

35 Definition

To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of.

Example Sentences
  • to break flax
36 Definition

To destroy the official character and standing of; to cashier; to dismiss.

37 Definition

To make an abrupt or sudden change; to change the gait.

Example Sentences
  • to break into a run or gallop
38 Definition

To fall out; to terminate friendship.

39 Definition

To terminate the execution of a program before normal completion.

40 Definition

To suspend the execution of a program during debugging so that the state of the program can be investigated.

Adjective
7 definition(s)
1 Definition

Fragmented, in separate pieces.

2 Definition

(of a promise, etc) Breached; violated; not kept.

Example Sentences
  • broken promises of neutrality
3 Definition

Non-functional; not functioning properly.

Example Sentences
  • I think my doorbell is broken.
4 Definition

(of a person) Completely defeated and dispirited; shattered; destroyed.

Example Sentences
  • The bankruptcy and divorce, together with the death of his son, left him completely broken.
5 Definition

Having no money; bankrupt, broke.

6 Definition

(of land) Uneven.

7 Definition

(of a tactic or option) Overpowered; overly powerful; too powerful.