broken
gb/bɹˈoʊkən/ us/bɹˈoʊkən/
A2
Inglés
Acepciones
0 acepciones
adjective
A2
property
1
damaged or not working
If something is broken, it is damaged or does not work.
Patrón de uso:
[something] is broken; a broken [thing]
Error frecuente:
Use broken for things that are damaged or not working. Use broke, not broken, to mean having no money in informal English.
Sinónimos
damaged (general word for harmed or spoiled)
|
faulty (not working correctly, often because of a defect)
|
out of order (used especially for machines or public facilities)
Antónimos
working (working normally; not damaged)
|
intact (complete and not damaged)
|
undamaged (not harmed or spoiled)
Colocaciones
broken phone
|broken screen
|broken chair
|broken window
|broken lock
|broken machine
|broken computer
|broken car
|get broken
|fix something broken
Temas
core_vocabulary
|daily_life
|technology
|housing
|transportation
Ejemplos
- The washing machine is broken, so we have to go to the laundromat.
- Don't sit on that chair; one of the legs is broken.
- She dropped her phone, and now the screen is broken.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- My computer is broken.
- The doorbell is broken.
- We need to fix the broken window.
adjective
A2
state
2
bone fractured by injury
A broken arm, leg, or bone has been cracked or split by an injury.
Patrón de uso:
a broken [bone/body part]; [someone] has a broken [bone/body part]
Error frecuente:
Say I have a broken leg or I broke my leg, not my leg is break.
Sinónimos
fractured (medical or more formal term for a broken bone)
|
cracked (often suggests a smaller or less serious break)
|
injured (broader; may or may not involve a broken bone)
Antónimos
unbroken (not fractured)
|
healed (recovered after injury)
|
healthy (not injured)
Colocaciones
broken arm
|broken leg
|broken bone
|broken wrist
|broken ankle
|broken rib
|broken nose
|badly broken
|suffer a broken bone
|recover from a broken leg
Temas
health
|body
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- He missed the final because of a broken ankle.
- The X-ray showed that she had two broken ribs.
- A broken arm usually needs a cast for several weeks.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He has a broken leg.
- My sister got a broken wrist in the game.
- The doctor looked at my broken finger.
adjective
B2
property
3
not functioning effectively
If a system or relationship is broken, it has serious problems and does not work well.
Patrón de uso:
a broken [system/process/relationship]; [something] is broken
Error frecuente:
This use is often metaphorical and strong. For small problems, words like flawed or inefficient may be more appropriate.
Sinónimos
dysfunctional (not working well because of serious internal problems)
|
flawed (has weaknesses or defects, but may still work partly)
|
failing (no longer succeeding or performing well)
Antónimos
effective (working well and producing the intended result)
|
functional (working normally)
|
healthy (sound and not seriously damaged)
Colocaciones
broken system
|broken process
|broken relationship
|broken marriage
|broken healthcare system
|broken model
|broken culture
|broken workflow
|deeply broken
|fundamentally broken
Temas
society
|business
|work
|relationships
|government
Ejemplos
- Many voters feel the political system is broken.
- The company's hiring process was broken and full of delays.
- After months of arguments, their relationship felt broken.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The old system is broken.
- Their marriage was broken before they separated.
- We need to improve this broken process.
adjective
B1
state
4
not kept or honored
A broken promise, rule, or agreement has not been kept or obeyed.
Patrón de uso:
a broken [promise/agreement/rule]; broken trust
Error frecuente:
A person breaks a promise or rule; the result is a broken promise or a broken rule.
Sinónimos
unkept (not kept, especially a promise)
|
breached (broken in a formal or legal way)
|
violated (not obeyed or respected)
Antónimos
kept (not broken; honored as promised)
|
honored (respected and carried out)
|
fulfilled (completed as promised or required)
Colocaciones
broken promise
|broken agreement
|broken contract
|broken rule
|broken vow
|broken commitment
|broken trust
|leave promises broken
|a series of broken promises
Temas
communication
|relationships
|business
|law
Ejemplos
- The campaign was followed by years of broken promises.
- A broken contract can lead to legal action.
- The friendship never fully recovered from the broken trust between them.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He was angry about the broken promise.
- There are consequences for broken rules.
- Broken trust is hard to repair.
adjective
B1
property
5
interrupted or not continuous
If something is broken in this sense, it stops and starts or has gaps.
Patrón de uso:
broken [sleep/line/rhythm/conversation]
Error frecuente:
For sleep, broken sleep is usually uncountable: say I had broken sleep, not I had a broken sleep.
Sinónimos
interrupted (stopped and started again)
|
uneven (not smooth or regular)
|
irregular (not following a regular pattern)
|
discontinuous (having gaps rather than being continuous)
Antónimos
continuous (without gaps or interruptions)
|
uninterrupted (not interrupted)
|
unbroken (smooth and regular)
Colocaciones
broken sleep
|broken line
|broken rhythm
|broken conversation
|broken sentences
|broken sequence
|broken pattern
|broken silence
|a broken connection
Temas
time
|communication
|daily_life
Ejemplos
- New parents often survive on broken sleep.
- A broken white line means you may pass if the road is clear.
- He spoke in short, broken sentences after the accident.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I had broken sleep last night.
- Draw a broken line on the paper.
- The phone call was broken and hard to hear.
adjective
B2
state
6
emotionally crushed or damaged
If a person feels broken, they feel very hurt, weak, or unable to cope emotionally.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] is/feels broken; a broken [person/man/woman]
Error frecuente:
This is a strong, dramatic word for emotional pain. For ordinary sadness, use sad, upset, or unhappy.
Sinónimos
devastated (extremely upset, especially by bad news or loss)
|
shattered (very upset or emotionally damaged)
|
crushed (defeated or deeply hurt)
|
traumatized (hurt by a severe experience)
Antónimos
resilient (able to recover from emotional difficulty)
|
healed (emotionally recovered)
|
whole (emotionally complete or undamaged)
Colocaciones
feel broken
|emotionally broken
|broken inside
|a broken man
|a broken person
|left someone broken
|broken by grief
|broken by trauma
Temas
emotions
|relationships
|health
Ejemplos
- After the trial, he looked like a broken man.
- The loss left her feeling completely broken.
- Therapy helped him rebuild a life after years of feeling broken.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- She felt broken after the breakup.
- He was broken by grief.
- I felt broken, but my friends helped me.
adjective
B2
property
7
imperfect nonfluent language
Broken English or broken French is language spoken with many mistakes because the speaker is not fluent.
Patrón de uso:
broken [language]; in broken [language]
Error frecuente:
This phrase can sound dismissive or rude. In polite contexts, limited English, basic English, or not fluent in English is often better.
Sinónimos
limited (more polite and less judgmental)
|
imperfect (not perfect or fully correct)
|
halting (slow and with pauses)
Antónimos
fluent (able to speak or write smoothly and accurately)
|
native-like (like a first-language speaker)
|
polished (smooth, careful, and accurate)
Colocaciones
broken English
|broken French
|broken Spanish
|speak in broken English
|write in broken English
|a few broken phrases
|halting and broken speech
Temas
communication
|education
Ejemplos
- He asked for directions in broken English, and a friendly passerby helped him.
- The note was written in broken Spanish, but we understood the main idea.
- She explained the problem in a few broken phrases.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He speaks broken English.
- I answered in broken French.
- Her broken Spanish was enough to buy a ticket.
Verbo
A2
action
8
past participle of break
Broken is the form of break used in sentences like I have broken it and It was broken.
Patrón de uso:
[someone/something] has/had broken [something]; [something] was/has been broken by [someone/something]
Error frecuente:
Use broken after have, has, or had: I have broken it, not I have broke it.
Colocaciones
have broken
|has broken
|had broken
|was broken by
|been broken
|broken the law
|broken a record
|broken into pieces
|broken off
Temas
core_vocabulary
|communication
|education
Ejemplos
- I've broken my glasses again.
- The record had stood for ten years before it was broken.
- The lock was broken by force.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I have broken my cup.
- She has broken the rule before.
- The window was broken by a ball.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
broken
AFI
GB/bɹˈoʊkən/
US/bɹˈoʊkən/
Sílabas y acento
broken (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (broken)
Formas de la palabra
Adjective
- Base: broken
Expresiones
a broken clock is right twice a day
1/ə bɹˈoʊkən klˈɑk ˈɪz ɹˈaɪt twˈaɪs ə dˈeɪ/
idiom
informal
wrong thing occasionally right
This saying means that even someone who is often wrong can sometimes be right.
Ejemplos
- 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.
broken heart
1/bɹˈoʊkən hˈɑɹt/
fixed phrase
deep emotional sadness
A broken heart is the strong sadness you feel when love ends or someone you love is gone.
Ejemplos
- 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.
broken home
1/bɹˈoʊkən hˈoʊm/
fixed phrase
family after parental separation
A broken home is a family where the parents no longer live together, especially when children are involved.
Ejemplos
- 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.
broken link
1/bɹˈoʊkən lˈɪŋk/
fixed phrase
technical
web link not working
A broken link is a link on a website that does not open the right page.
Ejemplos
- 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.
like a broken record
1/lˈaɪk ə bɹˈoʊkən ɹˈɛkɚd/
idiom
informal
repeating the same thing
If you sound like a broken record, you repeat the same idea too many times.
Ejemplos
- 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.