broken person

Meaning

1. 1nouncountablefigurative

   Someone who is emotionally or psychologically damaged, often after trauma, and struggles to function as they once did.

   Grammar: Countable; you can say 'a broken person' or 'broken people'.

   Patterns

   • a broken person
   • feel like a broken person
   • help a broken person

   After the accident, he described himself as a broken person who could no longer trust anyone.

   The novel's main character is a broken person trying to rebuild her life.

   She didn't want to be seen as a broken person, so she hid her pain from friends.

Word forms

Common combinations

feel like a broken person

For months after the divorce, he felt like a broken person.

a deeply broken person

The therapist recognized a deeply broken person behind the cheerful facade.

help a broken person heal

It takes patience to help a broken person heal.

portray a broken person

The actor was praised for portraying a broken person with sensitivity.

Synonyms and how they differ

damaged

Can describe emotional harm but is broader and less intense; 'broken person' suggests a deeper, more lasting wound.

troubled

Milder and more neutral; 'troubled' can mean worried or problematic, while 'broken' implies severe emotional injury.

wounded

Often used for emotional pain, but 'wounded' can be temporary; 'broken' suggests a more fundamental state.

Opposites

Word family

broken adjective

Damaged or no longer working; also used figuratively for emotional damage.

brokenness noun

The state of being broken, often used in religious or emotional contexts.

Commonly confused: broken person or broke?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “broken person”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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