Meaning & use

bankrupt

adjective·Academic

Legally declared unable to pay one's debts, or completely lacking in a particular quality.

See it in a sentence

The once-thriving chain went bankrupt after losing customers to online retailers.

Critics said the policy was morally bankrupt because it ignored the needs of the poor.

A note on using this word

Bankrupt can describe financial ruin, as with a company, or figuratively describe a total lack of ideas, morals, or values.

Words with a similar meaning

insolventbroke

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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