1
: violently separated into parts : shattered
broken windows
2
: damaged or altered by or as if by breaking (see break entry 1): such as
a
: having undergone or been subjected to fracture
a broken leg
b
: not working properly
a broken camera
c
of land surfaces
: being irregular, interrupted, or full of obstacles
a long broken ridge
d
: violated by transgression : not kept or honored
a broken promise
e
: discontinuous, interrupted
a broken sleep
f
: disrupted by change
g
of a tulip flower
: having an irregular, streaked, or blotched pattern especially from virus infection
3
4
a
: cut off : disconnected
spoke a few broken words
b
: imperfectly spoken or written
broken English
5
: not complete or full
a broken bale of hay
6
: disunited by divorce, separation, or desertion of one parent
children from broken homes
a broken family
brokenly
adverb
Examples of broken in a Sentence
The street was covered with broken glass.
a broken vase that could not be repaired
Recent Examples on the Web
An autopsy revealed the father had been stabbed approximately 50 times and had sustained multiple injuries, including broken bones, strangulation marks, and blunt force trauma to the head, face, and back.
—
Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
All these and more can be seen below in a map of the 57 shots the 23-year-old former Arsenal academy youngster faced in the league before that untimely broken wrist against Mansfield Town on November 9.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
But the supply chains were so broken because of the pandemic.
—CBS News, 22 Dec. 2024
The one great conversation scene comes when Diggs sits across a bar from a fellow Nickel alumni, played by Craig Tate in a phenomenal cameo where his nervous twitches show us the broken boy inside the man.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for broken 
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Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
All these and more can be seen below in a map of the 57 shots the 23-year-old former Arsenal academy youngster faced in the league before that untimely broken wrist against Mansfield Town on November 9.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
But the supply chains were so broken because of the pandemic.
—CBS News, 22 Dec. 2024
The one great conversation scene comes when Diggs sits across a bar from a fellow Nickel alumni, played by Craig Tate in a phenomenal cameo where his nervous twitches show us the broken boy inside the man.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for broken
Dictionary Entries Near broken
Cite this Entry
“Broken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/broken. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
broken
adjective
bro·ken
ˈbrō-kən 
1
: shattered into pieces
broken glass
2
a
: rough entry 1 sense 1a, uneven
broken terrain
b
: having gaps or breaks
a broken line
3
: not kept
a broken promise
4
: subdued completely
a broken spirit
5
: imperfectly spoken
broken English
6
: having undergone fracture
a broken leg
7
: having one parent missing (as because of divorce)
children from broken homes
brokenly
adverb
Medical Definition
broken
adjective
bro·ken
ˈbrō-kən
: having undergone or been subjected to fracture
a broken leg
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