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
Their early encounter on the grid-iron wasn’t exactly auspicious as Brian (the QB) made a sloppy throw that resulted in a broken leg for Jardine.
—
Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 1 June 2024
Officers struggled with the man, and one officer suffered a broken leg and another suffered a cut to his elbow.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 31 May 2024
Suddenly made lonely after a full and adventurous life, Helen has come to think of change as a kind of rupture, with routine as the only refuge from a broken heart.
—Danny Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 May 2024
Time can't—and shouldn’t—be the only way to measure a process as amorphous as healing a broken heart.
—Myisha Battle, TIME, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for broken 
Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 1 June 2024
Officers struggled with the man, and one officer suffered a broken leg and another suffered a cut to his elbow.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 31 May 2024
Suddenly made lonely after a full and adventurous life, Helen has come to think of change as a kind of rupture, with routine as the only refuge from a broken heart.
—Danny Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 May 2024
Time can't—and shouldn’t—be the only way to measure a process as amorphous as healing a broken heart.
—Myisha Battle, TIME, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for broken
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'broken.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near broken
Cite this Entry
“Broken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/broken. Accessed 6 Jun. 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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