broken
/ˈbrəʊ.kən/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbroʊ.kən/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbrəʊkən/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbrəʊkən/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbrō-kən/ (ame, mw)
broken — verb
1. the form of break used after have, has, or had, and in passive sentences.
the form of break used after have, has, or had, and in passive sentences.
The branch has broken twice since the heavy snow began.
have broken for completed action
By noon, Mei had broken three cups in the busy cafe.
had broken + object
The back window was broken during the storm last night.
Hana has never broken a promise to her younger sister.
文法句型
have/has/had broken
be broken
用法筆記
This is the verb form, not the adjective senses below. After have, has, or had, English uses broken rather than broke.
常見錯誤
broken — adjective
1. hurt, in pieces, or missing a part, so it cannot work or be used properly.
hurt, in pieces, or missing a part, so it cannot work or be used properly.
Ravi tried to start the broken scooter outside the train station.
broken + machine
A broken plate lay under the table after the children left.
broken + object in pieces
The clinic replaced the broken step at the front door.
Our TV is broken, so we watched a movie on Mira's phone.
One wheel was broken, and the cart would not move.
文法句型
broken + machine/object/part
be broken
用法筆記
Common with machines, household objects, body parts, and missing parts. Distinguish from adjective 3: this sense is about damage or failure, not about something stopping and starting.
常見錯誤
2. so hurt inside by a bad experience that a person struggles to live normally.
so hurt inside by a bad experience that a person struggles to live normally.
After the fire, Leila seemed broken and stopped seeing friends.
be broken after a traumatic event
The long war left many children broken and afraid.
Years of cruel jokes made Yusuf feel broken at school.
By spring, the coach looked broken after his son's funeral.
- traumatized
more explicit about a shocking experience
- shattered
stronger and often more dramatic
- crushed
often stresses sadness or defeat
文法句型
feel broken
look broken
be broken after [event]
用法筆記
Usually predicative, not before a noun. It often describes a person after trauma, loss, abuse, illness, or long hardship.
3. stopping and starting again instead of moving, sounding, or continuing smoothly.
stopping and starting again instead of moving, sounding, or continuing smoothly.
The radio gave a broken signal as the boat moved away.
broken signal
Grandpa woke often after another night of broken sleep.
collocation: broken sleep
Her broken English still helped the lost tourists find the station.
A broken white line runs down the middle of this road.
- interrupted
the nearest general equivalent
- uneven
often used when the pattern changes irregularly
- patchy
informal, especially for signals or attention
- continuous
without stopping
- smooth
without sudden gaps or changes
文法句型
broken + line/signal
broken sleep
broken English
用法筆記
Common with nouns naming lines, sleep, journeys, speech, and signals. Distinguish from adjective 1: this sense is about lack of continuity, not physical damage.
常見錯誤
4. finished or ruined so badly that it cannot continue as before.
finished or ruined so badly that it cannot continue as before.
After the mayor's arrest, the local party looked broken at city hall.
broken institution or group
Nadia grew up in a broken home after her parents split.
collocation: broken home
After the cash went missing, trust was broken among the shop staff.
By winter, Aiko and Kenji's marriage felt broken beyond repair.
文法句型
broken + home/marriage
trust is broken
look broken
用法筆記
Often used for families, marriages, trust, political groups, and other structures that no longer hold together. Distinguish from adjective 5: here the whole relationship or system has collapsed, not just one promise or rule.
5. not followed in the way a law, rule, agreement, or promise should be.
not followed in the way a law, rule, agreement, or promise should be.
The judge punished the company for its broken safety rules.
broken + rule/law
A broken promise hurt Omar more than the lost money.
collocation: broken promise
Neighbors complained after another broken contract delayed the repairs.
Parents protested over the school's broken agreement on lunch prices.
- violated
common with laws, rules, and rights
- unkept
used especially for promises, but less common
- dishonored
more formal, especially for agreements or obligations
文法句型
broken + promise/rule/law
broken contract
broken agreement
用法筆記
Object is usually a promise, law, rule, contract, or agreement. Distinguish from adjective 4: this sense focuses on failure to obey or keep a specific commitment.
常見錯誤
6. trained to stay calm with people, so a horse is safe for riding or pulling a veh
trained to stay calm with people, so a horse is safe for riding or pulling a vehicle.
The guide chose a broken horse for the nervous beginner.
broken horse
Farmers need broken horses before the heavy carts go out.
By autumn, the young mare was broken and easy to ride.
The children watched the trainer lead two broken ponies home.
文法句型
broken horse
broken mare
be broken to ride
用法筆記
Used almost only before horse, mare, pony, or similar nouns. It is less common in everyday modern English than trained or tamed.
7. uneven and rough on top, with small rises, holes, or hard edges.
uneven and rough on top, with small rises, holes, or hard edges.
We walked slowly over the broken ground after the dry summer.
broken ground
Rainwater filled the broken surface of the old tennis court.
The bicycle shook on the broken road near the farm.
Builders covered the broken stone path with fresh sand.
文法句型
broken ground
broken road
broken surface
用法筆記
Usually before nouns like ground, road, path, stone, or surface. Distinguish from adjective 3: this sense describes physical unevenness, not interruption in time or sequence.