Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Financially ruined, insolvent: Describes a person or organization that is legally declared unable to pay outstanding debts.
   • Depleted, lacking: Used figuratively to describe being completely lacking in a particular quality or resource.

2. Noun:

   • A person or entity declared insolvent: An individual or company that has been legally adjudicated as bankrupt.

3. Verb:

   • To reduce to financial ruin: To cause a person or organization to become bankrupt.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The court declared the business bankrupt after it failed to repay its loans.
  • He felt bankrupt of ideas after working on the project for so long.
• Noun:
  • The bankrupt was required to sell all assets to pay creditors.
• Verb:
  • The costly lawsuit threatened to bankrupt the small family firm.

Advanced Usage

• "Morally bankrupt": Completely lacking in moral principles or ethical standards.
  • The corrupt regime was described as morally bankrupt.
• "Intellectually bankrupt": Completely lacking in sound ideas or intellectual substance.
  • The argument was dismissed as intellectually bankrupt.

Variants and Related Words

• Bankruptcy (n): The legal state of being bankrupt; the process of declaring bankruptcy.
  • The company filed for bankruptcy protection.
• Bankruptor (n): (Rare) One who causes another to become bankrupt.

Synonyms

• Adjective (financial): Insolvent, ruined, bust.
• Adjective (depleted): Destitute, devoid, barren.
• Verb: Ruin, impoverish, break.

Phrasal Verbs / Related Constructions

• "To go bankrupt": To become bankrupt.
  • Many small shops went bankrupt during the recession.
• "To be declared bankrupt": To be officially judged as bankrupt by a legal authority.
  • He was declared bankrupt by the high court.

Related Idioms

• "Bankrupt of": Completely lacking in something (non-financial).
  • The proposal was bankrupt of any original thought.

Adjective

1. financially ruined
   • a bankrupt company
   • the company went belly-up

Noun

1. someone who has insufficient assets to cover their debts

Verb

1. reduce to bankruptcy
   • My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!
   • The slump in the financial markets smashed him