kaput

adjective

ka·​put kə-ˈpu̇t 

kä-,

-ˈpüt

variants or less commonly kaputt

1

: utterly finished, defeated, or destroyed

Their marriage is kaput.

2

: unable to function

The refrigerator is kaput.

—often used with go

The engine suddenly went kaput.

3

: hopelessly outmoded

Did you know?

Kaput originated with a card game called piquet that has been popular in France for centuries. French players originally used the term capot to describe both big winners and big losers in piquet. To win all twelve tricks in a hand was called "faire capot" ("to make capot"), but to lose them all was known as "être capot" ("to be capot"). German speakers adopted capot, but respelled it kaputt, and used it only for losers. When English speakers borrowed the word from German, they started using kaput for things that were broken, useless, or destroyed.

Synonyms

• dead
• done
• done for
• doomed
• finished
• ruined
• sunk

Examples of kaput in a Sentence

once the Germans were forced to retreat from Stalingrad, the Nazi cause was kaput

hard-line Soviet-style Communism became kaput in Russia

Recent Examples on the Web

Now all three of those competitors are kaput, felled by runs on deposits during the biggest banking crisis in a decade and a half. —Rob Copeland, New York Times, 14 June 2023

The Stooges are now functionally kaput—of the original lineup, only Pop is left. —Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2019

At least not on Sunday afternoon, nearly a full two days after the Clippers were supposed to be done, finished, as kaput as the Kings – those in Sacramento and Los Angeles. —Jeff Miller, Orange County Register, 29 Apr. 2017

The damages for that less-than-brilliant marketing idea could be as much as $120 million, meaning the company as a whole is pretty much financially kaput. —Susan Arendt, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2007

Word History

Etymology

German kaputt, from French capot not having made a trick at piquet

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing kaput

• go kaput

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