bankrupt

1 of 3

noun

bank·​rupt ˈbaŋk-(ˌ)rəpt 

1

a

: a debtor (such as an individual or an organization) whose property is subject to voluntary or involuntary administration under the bankruptcy laws for the benefit of the debtor's creditors

b

: a person who becomes insolvent

2

: a person who is completely lacking in a particular desirable quality or attribute

a moral bankrupt

bankrupt

2 of 3

adjective

1

a

: reduced to a state of financial ruin : impoverished

specifically : legally declared bankrupt

the company went bankrupt

b

: of or relating to bankrupts or bankruptcy

bankrupt laws

2

a

: broken, ruined

a bankrupt professional career

b

: exhausted of valuable qualities : sterile

a bankrupt old culture

c

: destitute

—used with of or in

bankrupt of all merciful feelings

bankrupt

3 of 3

verb

bankrupted; bankrupting; bankrupts

transitive verb

1

: to reduce to bankruptcy

2

: impoverish

defections had bankrupted the party of its brainpower

Synonyms

Adjective

• devoid
• void
• destitute

Verb

• ruin

Choose the Right Synonym for bankrupt

deplete, drain, exhaust, impoverish, bankrupt mean to deprive of something essential to existence or potency.

deplete implies a reduction in number or quantity so as to endanger the ability to function.

depleting our natural resources

drain implies a gradual withdrawal and ultimate deprivation of what is necessary to an existence.

personal tragedy had drained him of all spirit

exhaust stresses a complete emptying.

her lecture exhausted the subject

impoverish suggests a deprivation of something essential to richness or productiveness.

impoverished soil

bankrupt suggests impoverishment to the point of imminent collapse.

war had bankrupted the nation of resources

Examples of bankrupt in a Sentence

Noun

As a lawyer, she specialized in working with bankrupts.

Adjective

The lawsuit could leave them bankrupt.

the company's product development team was bankrupt of ideas

Verb

Several risky deals bankrupted the company.

several bad investments bankrupted him

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The expectation is set early in the series, when an alderman who tries to swindle George bankrupts himself in the process, then kills himself in shame. —Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 June 2025

If this continues, the country will become de facto bankrupt. —Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025

Adjective

That appears to be the case with the 221 North Mathilda office building, which once was leased to 23andMe, a genomics and biotech company that in 2021 had a market value of $6 billion but now is bankrupt. —George Avalos, Mercury News, 6 June 2025

The partial revocation of the U.S. government’s license for Chevron’s operations is a big deal in Venezuela, because the country is bankrupt and depends on oil exports for 90% of its export income. —Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025

Verb

But even back then, legislators feared that the cost of covering long-term care would bankrupt the Medicare program, as law professor Sidney Watson recounts in her review of this history. —Kat McGowan, NPR, 20 June 2025

If your goal were to bankrupt America and destabilize the world, dragging us into another endless Middle East war would be the way to do it. —Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

modification of Middle French & Old Italian; Middle French banqueroute bankruptcy, from Old Italian bancarotta, from banca bank + rotta broken, from Latin rupta, feminine of ruptus, past participle of rumpere to break — more at bank, reave

First Known Use

Noun

1638, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing bankrupt

• go bankrupt
• morally bankrupt

Kids Definition

bankrupt

1 of 3 noun

bank·​rupt ˈbaŋ-(ˌ)krəpt 

: an individual or group who becomes bankrupt

especially : one whose property by court order is turned over to be managed for the benefit of the creditors

bankrupt

2 of 3 adjective

1

: unable to pay one's debts

2

: legally declared bankrupt

the company went bankrupt

bankrupt

3 of 3 verb

: to make bankrupt

Legal Definition

bankrupt

1 of 3 noun

bank·​rupt ˈbaŋ-ˌkrəpt 

: a debtor (as an individual or organization) whose property is subject to administration under the bankruptcy laws for the benefit of the debtor's creditors

was adjudicated a bankrupt

see also debtor

bankrupt

2 of 3 adjective

: ruined financially

especially : judicially declared a bankrupt

the company is bankrupt

compare insolvent

bankrupt

3 of 3 transitive verb

: to reduce to bankruptcy

was bankrupted by attorney's fees