broken-down

/'broukən'daun/
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Thân thiện
broken-down

The old broken-down tractor sits rusting in the field.

Definition
  1. Adjective:
    • Not functioning or in working order: Describes something, typically a machine or vehicle, that has ceased to operate correctly due to damage, age, or disrepair.
    • In a state of severe physical decay or disrepair: Describes a structure or object that is dilapidated, falling apart, or in a very poor condition.
    • Weakened or exhausted: Can describe a person or animal that is in a state of physical decline, frailty, or poor health.
Examples of Usage
  • Adjective:
    • The broken-down car was abandoned by the side of the road.
    • They lived in a broken-down shack with a leaky roof.
    • After the long illness, he was just a broken-down version of his former self.
Advanced Usage
  • Used attributively (before a noun): Most commonly, "broken-down" is used directly before the noun it modifies to describe its poor condition.
    • We passed a field full of broken-down machinery.
  • Used predictively (after a linking verb like 'be', 'seem', 'look'): It can also follow a verb to describe the subject's state.
    • The old pier looked completely broken-down.
Variants and Related Words
  • Break down (phrasal verb): The verb phrase from which the adjective is derived. It means to cease to function, to fail, or to collapse.
    • My car broke down on the highway.
  • Dilapidated (adj): A close synonym, especially for buildings and structures in bad condition.
  • Decrepit (adj): Similar in meaning, emphasizing weakness or feebleness due to age or long use.
Synonyms
  • Out of order
  • Non-functional
  • Ramshackle
  • Tumble-down
  • Bedraggled (when referring to a messy, worn-out appearance)
  • Worn-out
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Break down: As mentioned above, this is the source verb phrase. It can refer to mechanical failure, emotional collapse, or the process of analyzing something into parts.
    • The negotiations broke down over the key issue.
    • She broke down in tears.
Related Idioms
  • On its last legs: An idiom describing something that is almost completely broken-down or worn out and likely to stop working soon.
    • That broken-down refrigerator is on its last legs; we need a new one.
broken-down

The old broken-down tractor sits rusting in the field.

Adjective
  1. not in working order
    • had to push the broken-down car
    • a broken-down tractor fit only for children to play on
  2. in deplorable condition
    • a street of bedraggled tenements
    • a broken-down fence
    • a ramshackle old pier
    • a tumble-down shack

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