broken
Fragmented; in separate pieces.
Adjective 4 meanings
Fragmented; in separate pieces.
“One recent morning the team had to replace a broken weather research station.”
Breached; violated; not kept.
“broken promises of neutrality”
Non-functional; not functioning properly.
“I think my doorbell is broken.”
Completely defeated and dispirited; shattered; destroyed.
“The bankruptcy and divorce, together with the death of his son, left him completely broken.”
Etymology
From Middle English broken, from Old English brocen, ġebrocen, from Proto-Germanic *brukanaz, past participle of Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”). Cognate with Dutch gebroken (“broken”), German Low German broken (“broken”), German gebrochen (“broken”). Morphologically broke + -n.
Similar and opposite words
BROKEN at a glance
BROKEN has 6 letters and scores 12 points in Scrabble (B 3 + R 1 + O 1 + K 5 + E 1 + N 1) and 14 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #1,345 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with broken
All rhymes- TAKEN9
- CHICKEN18
- SPOKEN12
- MISTAKEN14
- UNDERTAKEN15
- TOKEN9
- DRUNKEN12
- SHAKEN13
- STRICKEN14
- WEAKEN13
- HEARTBROKEN20
- WOKEN12
One letter away
- BROKER12
- BROKED13
- BROKES12
- WROKEN13
Keep going
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