Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

1

broke

play
\ˈbrōk\

Definition of broke

  1. past tense of break

People Are Reading

alt-59245a1009b19
Trending: Brennan: Concerns of Russian Efforts to 'suborn'
winning-words-from-the-national-spelling-bee-logo
Winning Words from Scripps Spelling Bee Quiz
image1694077559
Which Is The Correct Plural Spelling? (It's a Trick Question)
decimate-video
Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?

Other Equestrian Terms

canter, cantle, curry, farrier, hunter, paddock, router, skirt, tack

2

broke

adjective

Definition of broke

  1. :  penniless

See broke defined for English-language learners

Examples of broke in a Sentence

  1. She is broke and homeless.

  2. Can I borrow 10 dollars? I'm broke until payday.

Origin and Etymology of broke

Middle English, alteration of broken


First Known Use: 1710

broke Synonyms

Synonyms
beggared, beggarly, poor, destitute, dirt-poor, down-and-out, famished, hard up, impecunious, impoverished, indigent, necessitous, needful, needy, pauperized, penniless, penurious, poverty-stricken, skint [chiefly British], threadbare
Antonyms
affluent, deep-pocketed, fat, fat-cat, flush, moneyed (also monied), opulent, rich, silk-stocking, wealthy, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do
Related Words
deprived, disadvantaged, dispossessed, unaffluent, underprivileged; bankrupt, bankrupted, bust (or busted), insolvent; possessionless, ruined; depressed, distressed, hand-to-mouth, hardscrabble, pinched, poorish, reduced, straitened; cash-strapped, low, short, tapped out
Near Antonyms
comfortable, prosperous

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

BROKE Defined for English Language Learners

2

broke

adjective

Definition of broke for English Language Learners

  • : not having any money

BROKE Defined for Kids

1

broke

play

Definition of broke for Students

  1. past of break

2

broke

play
adjective \ˈbrōk\

Definition of broke for Students

  1. :  having no money

Medical Dictionary

broke

Medical Definition of broke

past of break

Law Dictionary

broke

  1. past of break

Learn More about broke

  1. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for broke Spanish Central: Translation of broke Nglish: Translation of broke for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of broke for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up broke? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

concatenate

play

to link together in a series or chain

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. suborn "to induce secretly to do an unlawful thing"

  2. nutjob 'a mentally unbalanced person'

  3. collusion 'Secret cooperation for an illegal or dishonest purpose'

  4. counsel Is it 'council' or 'counsel'?

  5. witch hunt Lookups spiked after Trump used the word in a tweet

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

broke

WORD GAMES

Take a 3-minute break and test your skills!

  • winning-words-from-the-national-spelling-bee-logo
  • Which is the correct spelling of the winning word from 1988?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-5926e94cc0e45
'Climate' Change

No denying this word's history

alt-5925b73b3a62e
'Author' is a Verb

Beyond the mere act of writing

alt-592708149cf54
Don't Catch 'Flack' for Using 'Flak'

How a word for antiaircraft guns came to refer to PR pro

image1694077559
Plural Words With Multiple Spellings

Multiple spellings for "multiple" words.

Ask the Editors

decimate-video
Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?

Language changes

serial-comma
The Serial Comma

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

winning-words-from-the-national-spelling-bee-logo
Winning Words from Scripps Spelling Bee Quiz

Can you outdo past winners of the Spelling Bee?

Take the quiz
peter-bruegel-tower-of-babel-painting
Where in the World? A Quiz

Do you know what languages these words come from?

Take the quiz
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

Take the quiz
Word Winder's CrossWinder
Word Winder's CrossWinder

A game of winding words.

Play the game
Examples: broke in a Sentence