broken-down

adjective

Which has broken down and, as a result, is no longer in working order.

Meanings

adjectivebroken-down (comparative more broken-down, superlative most broken-down)

comparative more broken-down · superlative most broken-down

  1. Which has broken down and, as a result, is no longer in working order.

    And a broken-down train and the severe weather temporarily shut the line between Dawlish and Exeter St Davids.

    2021 December 29, Stefanie Foster, “Storm Barra causes fresh disruption to the railway”, in RAIL, number 947, page 19

    Synonyms: out of order

  2. Ruined in character or strength.
    1 more example

    We looked our last upon them and the indescribable rosy glow in which they lay, and then with hearts far too heavy for words we left them, and crept thence broken-down men - so broken down that we even renounced the chance of practically immortal life, because all that made life valuable had gone from us, and we knew even then that to prolong our days indefinitely would only be to prolong our sufferings.

    1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveWhich has broken down and, as a result, is no longer in working order.

adjectiveNot properly maintained; neglected.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivein deplorable condition

adjectivenot in working order

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Arabic مُعَطَّل
  • مُعَطَّل (muʕaṭṭal)no longer in working order
Bulgarian повреден
  • повреден (povreden)no longer in working order
Finnish rikkinäinen, epäkuntoinen
  • rikkinäinenno longer in working order
  • epäkuntoinenno longer in working order
  • toimimatonno longer in working order
  • ränsistynytnot properly maintained
  • rapistunutnot properly maintained
  • rappeutunutnot properly maintained
  • rappiollaruined in character or strength
French en panne, hors-service
  • en panneno longer in working order
  • hors-serviceno longer in working order
  • H.S.no longer in working order
German kaputt
  • kaputtno longer in working order
Polish zepsuty, zdezelowany
  • zepsutyno longer in working order
  • zdezelowanyno longer in working order
  • zniszczonyno longer in working order
  • zużytyno longer in working order
  • wysłużonyno longer in working order
  • zaniedbanynot properly maintained
  • uszkodzonyruined in character or strength
  • zniszczonyruined in character or strength
Cite this entry
APA

broken-down. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broken-down

MLA

“broken-down.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broken-down. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “broken-down,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broken-down.

Source: broken-down on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.