adj

broke

BROHK

adj

Having no money; financially ruined.

"I can't go out tonight, I'm completely broke."

"The company went broke after losing its biggest client."

verb

Past tense of "break."

"She broke the vase while dusting the shelf."

How to Use Broke

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishHaving no money at all, or the simple past tense of "break."

Common mistake

As an adjective meaning "no money," "broke" doesn't change form — you don't say "broker" for "more broke"; use "more broke" or, better, "worse off."

Common pairings

dead broke flat broke go broke

Word Forms

broker comparative, more broke comparative, more broke comparative, broked past tense, brokes plural, brokes singular, brokest superlative, most broke superlative, most broke superlative

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I can't go out tonight, I'm completely _____.

Etymology

An older past-tense form of "break," which survives today mainly as the adjective meaning "out of money."

Rhymes for broke

woke coke poke joke toke yoke hoke spoke smoke bloke stoke evoke

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