Broke
/broʊk/
adjectiveBeginnerVery CommonGeneral
Idiom
Meanings
Questions
Definitions
2 meanings1
Without money; impoverished.
/broʊk/
adjectivenegativeBeginner
General
Having no money
I'm completely broke.
💡 Simply: Having no money.
More Examples
2
He's been broke for months.
How It's Used
Everyday Life
"I'm broke this week; I spent all my money."
2
To cause something to separate into pieces.
/broʊk/
verbnegativeBeginner
General
To destroy or damage something.
I accidentally broke my phone.
💡 Simply: To damage or break something.
More Examples
2
The storm broke the window.
How It's Used
General
"He broke the vase."
Tip:Imagine something splitting or shattering.
Idioms & expressions
Broke the bank
To spend a lot of money.
"That new car broke the bank."
Past tense of "break," ultimately from Proto-Germanic *brekan.
The use of 'broke' to mean 'impoverished' has been common since at least the 16th century.
Memory tip
Think of a broken piggy bank.
Practice
Base: break
brokbroake
Usage
70%Spoken
30%Written