broke
Americanverb
adjective
-
without money; penniless.
- Synonyms:
- impoverished, destitute, insolvent
-
- Synonyms:
- impoverished, destitute, insolvent
noun
-
Papermaking. paper unfit for sale; paper that is to be repulped.
-
brokes, wool of poor quality taken from the neck and belly of sheep.
idioms
-
go broke,
-
to become destitute of money or possessions.
-
to go bankrupt.
In that business people are forever going broke.
-
-
go for broke, to exert oneself or employ one's resources to the utmost.
verb
adjective
-
informal having no money; bankrupt
-
slang to risk everything in a gambling or other venture
Etymology
Origin of broke
First recorded in 1655–65 for the adjective; 1875–80 for the noun
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They broke down the front door of a stone house and arrested a slender 34-year-old environmental activist named Hodei Ciarra Docampo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Her disapproval ratings had remained high ever since the Palisades fire in 2025, which broke out when she was out of the country on a diplomatic mission.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
More than 61,000 people participated in this year's New York City Marathon, which for the third year in a row broke the world's record for largest marathon.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
When the news broke Sunday, she was scrolling through her phone.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026
The fury of the ice river broke upon them with terrifying force.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
