broken
If something is broken, it is damaged or does not work.
Damaged, faulty, or no longer able to work or be used normally.
A broken arm, leg, or bone has been cracked or split by an injury.
Injured because a bone has cracked or separated.
If a system or relationship is broken, it has serious problems and does not work well.
Not operating in an effective, fair, or sensible way, especially when referring to a system, process, institution, or relationship.
A broken promise, rule, or agreement has not been kept or obeyed.
Not kept, honored, or obeyed, especially when referring to a promise, agreement, rule, or commitment.
If something is broken in this sense, it stops and starts or has gaps.
Not continuous, regular, or complete; interrupted by gaps, pauses, or breaks.
If a person feels broken, they feel very hurt, weak, or unable to cope emotionally.
Deeply upset, defeated, or psychologically damaged by painful experiences.
Broken English or broken French is language spoken with many mistakes because the speaker is not fluent.
Spoken or written with many mistakes, pauses, or incomplete phrases, especially by someone who is not fluent in a language.
Broken is the form of break used in sentences like I have broken it and It was broken.
The past participle of break, used with have to form perfect tenses and with be to form passive verb forms.
- Base: broken
a broken clock is right twice a day
1wrong thing occasionally right
This saying means that even someone who is often wrong can sometimes be right.
- I don't trust his predictions, but a broken clock is right twice a day.
- She guessed the result correctly, but even a broken clock is right twice a day.
- The policy happened to work once; that doesn't prove it was smart—a broken clock is right twice a day.
- He was right this time, but a broken clock is right twice a day.
- I guessed the answer, but a broken clock is right twice a day.
- Don't follow all his advice just because one idea worked; a broken clock is right twice a day.
broken heart
1deep emotional sadness
A broken heart is the strong sadness you feel when love ends or someone you love is gone.
- It took her a long time to recover from a broken heart.
- Songs about broken hearts are always popular.
- He tried to hide his broken heart after the breakup.
- She had a broken heart after he left.
- This movie is about love and a broken heart.
- Time can help heal a broken heart.
broken home
1family after parental separation
A broken home is a family where the parents no longer live together, especially when children are involved.
- The charity supports children from broken homes, but it avoids blaming their parents.
- He grew up in what people used to call a broken home.
- Teachers should not assume that every child from a broken home needs the same kind of help.
- He came from a broken home.
- The phrase broken home can sound old-fashioned.
- Not every child from a broken home is unhappy.
broken link
1web link not working
A broken link is a link on a website that does not open the right page.
- The report included several broken links to old government pages.
- Please tell us if you find a broken link on the website.
- The article was useful, but half the references were broken links.
- This page has a broken link.
- I clicked the broken link and got an error message.
- Can you fix the broken link on our site?
like a broken record
1repeating the same thing
If you sound like a broken record, you repeat the same idea too many times.
- I know I sound like a broken record, but please back up your files.
- He kept complaining about the prices like a broken record.
- My coach sounds like a broken record because she tells us every day to stretch before running.
- Dad always says, like a broken record, that I should lock the door.
- I don't want to sound like a broken record, but finish your homework.
- She repeats the rule like a broken record.