(of a promise made) Not honored
(of a relationship or household) Dysfunctional or lacking harmony
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Having been broken
“The vase lay broken on the floor after I had inadvertently knocked it to the ground.”
Having breaks or gaps in continuity
“Watercolor can sometimes be used in dry form to make a broken line that scrapes along textured paper.”
Mentally or emotionally demoralized
“His spirit was broken after losing a large sum of money through a bad investment.”
Not working
“I spilled some coffee on my computer, and now it is broken.”
(of a promise made) Not honored
“She vowed never to let him forget his broken promise to her.”
Stuttering or inarticulate in speech
“He spoke in broken English despite claiming to have been born and raised in London.”
Having an uneven and rough surface
“The stage has a broken surface and is completely unsafe for our performers.”
(of limbs or bones) Fractured, usually due to injury
“He sustained a broken arm from the accident but is recovering well.”
Having a rupture
“The skin over my wound is still broken.”
(of a relationship or household) Dysfunctional or lacking harmony
“Coming from a broken home myself, it took nine years of marriage before I could decide to start a family.”
Failed, not having success
“As a child, he endured the trauma of his parents' broken marriage.”
Lacking in material possessions or financial wealth
Under the influence of alcohol
Not having all the necessary or appropriate parts
Overcome with deep or intense sorrow
Likely to collapse because of poor construction or upkeep
Lacking a coherent or logical sequence or connection
Injured, or not functioning properly (with respect to legs)
Predisposed to having, or characterized by, bad luck
Having been stopped or halted
Characterized by turbulence, especially of the elements
Domesticated and tamed, especially of, or as, a pet
Having been ruined, broken or damaged, especially beyond repair
Incapable of being repaired, amended, cured or rectified
Disappointed in someone or something that one discovers to be less than expected
Not fulfilling or not expected to achieve the intended purpose or desired outcome
Displaying severe degradation and neglect
Of very poor quality
Unsuitable for a particular purpose
Past participle for to separate into pieces as a result of a collision, blow, shock, or strain
“The piñata would eventually break after being struck repeatedly by enthusiastic kids.”
(of a rule, law or agreement) Past participle for to fail to keep or abide by
“He chose to break his contract with the club after a significantly more lucrative offer was presented to him.”
Past participle for to stop proceedings, typically in relation to arduous activity
“Let's break for a few minutes before we drive ourselves crazy from all this work.”
Past participle for to stop or interrupt an action, process or operation
“We can break the cycle of poverty by providing work and employment opportunities.”
Past participle for to tell or reveal news or information
“I couldn't wait to break the good news to him that he had aced his exam.”
Past participle for to be revealed
“If there is any truth to any of this, the news will break in due course.”
Past participle for to exceed or cross a given limit
“He was determined to break the world record to make a name for himself.”
Past participle for to become inoperative
“We have backups on standby should the machines currently in operation break.”
Past participle for to cause damage to
“I would break my juicer by overfilling it.”
Past participle for to cushion something's effect
“His reflexes kicked in, and he threw out his arms, managing to break her fall.”
Past participle for to happen, occur or come into existence
“We had no inkling that the horsemeat scandal would break in the middle of the filming of our documentary.”
Past participle for to retreat from something frightening or dangerous
“The crowd in Pamplona would immediately break once the bulls were set loose.”
Past participle for to sustain an injury involving the fracture of a bone or bones in a part of the body
“He was relieved after scans confirmed that the accident did not break any of his bones.”
Past participle for to decipher or solve through reasoning, analysis or logic
“Rejewski used the theory of permutations to break the message keys of the plugboard Enigma machine.”
(of a habit) Past participle for to quit or give up
“He resolved to break his habit of constantly being overly critical of himself.”
Past participle for to be overcome by a given feeling or emotion
“Homer's self-control would finally break as he greedily gobbled down the blueberry pie.”
Past participle for to cause to become tired, weary or fatigued
“The grueling workout would eventually break me, and I had to quit from exhaustion.”
(of one's voice) Past participle for to speak haltingly
“Her voice would break as she recounted the harrowing ordeal.”
(of waves) Past participle for to crash against a barrier or surface
“We stood near the beach by the fire, listening to the waves break on the shingle.”
Past participle for to move in a (usually sharp) turn
“James would dribble to his left, then break to his right to shake off his opponent.”
(of the weather) Past participle for to undergo a change
“The weather would break, temperatures would rise, and it would be briefly warm enough to smell the earth once again.”
Past participle for to break through a surface
“Press down onto each potato to break the skin and flesh a little, allowing the oil to penetrate.”
Past participle for to penetrate the surface from below
“Dolphins would break all around our boat.”
Past participle for to destroy, weaken or work against
“Government indifference failed to break the movement but, in fact, radicalized it.”
Past participle for to fail in business or to become bankrupt
“The hemorrhaging cash flow would eventually break him.”
Past participle for to reduce the value or price of
“Adam Osborne decided that he wanted to break the price of computers by creating his own.”
(of a piece of land) Past participle for to cut into and turn over the sod of
“Farmers of old would break fields with horse-drawn plows.”
Related Words and Phrases
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