adj
bankrupt
BANGK-ruhpt
adj
1
Legally unable to pay one's debts.
"The company was declared bankrupt after years of falling sales."
"He went bankrupt trying to keep the restaurant open."
verb
1
To cause someone or something to run out of money entirely.
"The lawsuit nearly bankrupted the small firm."
How to Use Bankrupt
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFinancially ruined, unable to pay what is owed.
Common pairings
go bankrupt
declared bankrupt
bankrupt the company
Word Forms
more bankrupt comparative, bankrupted past tense, bankrupts plural, bankrupts singular, most bankrupt superlative
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The company was declared _____ after years of falling sales.
Etymology
From Italian bancarotta, literally "broken bench" — moneylenders who could no longer pay their debts reportedly had their market bench physically broken to signal it publicly.