INDEX:
1. objects/cups/furniture etc
2. bones
3. machines, cars, phones etc that do not work
4. to stop working
5. to stop a machine from working
6. not broken or damaged
RELATED WORDS
something wrong with a machine, system etc : ↑ FAULT (1)
when a machine, system etc works well without any problem : ↑ WORKING
see also
↑ BREAK
↑ DAMAGE
↑ TEAR
↑ REPAIR
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1. objects/cups/furniture etc
▷ broken /ˈbrəʊkən/ [adjective]
something that is broken has become separated into pieces, for example by being hit or dropped :
▪ The floor was covered in broken glass.
▪ This suitcase is no good - the handle’s broken.
▪ The birds had gotten into the cabin through a broken window.
▪ In the corner of the room were a broken chair and a rickety old desk.
▷ chipped /tʃɪpt/ [adjective]
a cup, plate etc that is chipped has a small piece broken off the edge of it :
▪ Why do I always get the chipped cup?
▪ Don’t use that plate - it’s chipped.
▷ cracked /krækt/ [adjective]
something that is cracked is not completely broken, but has cracks on its surface as a result of damage :
▪ Throw that jug away. It’s cracked.
▪ The tiles were old and cracked.
▪ He’s been driving around with a cracked windshield for months.
▷ bust /bʌst/ [adjective not before noun] British informal /busted /ˈbʌstɪd, ˈbʌstəd/ [adjective] especially American, informal
broken :
▪ I can’t carry all the shopping home in this bag - it’s bust.
▪ The door’s bust again. Can you get it fixed?
▪ In the yard, Miguel found a writing table with a busted leg.
2. bones
▷ broken /ˈbrəʊkən/ [adjective]
a broken bone has been cracked or separated into pieces :
▪ One little boy had a broken arm.
▪ I think my ankle’s broken.
▷ fractured /ˈfræktʃəʳd/ [adjective]
a fractured bone has been cracked, but it has not completely separated :
▪ The X-ray revealed that she had several fractured ribs.
▷ busted /ˈbʌstɪd, ˈbʌstəd/ [adjective] American informal
broken :
▪ Julie’s arm is busted and she can’t take care of herself.
3. machines, cars, phones etc that do not work
▷ is not working/doesn’t work /ɪz ˌnɒt ˈwɜːʳkɪŋ, ˌdʌz ə nt ˈwɜːʳk/ [verb phrase]
if a machine or piece of equipment is not working or doesn’t work, it does not do the job it is supposed to do :
▪ The phone’s not working.
▪ Our car isn’t working at the moment, so I’ve been taking the bus.
▪ The elevator doesn’t seem to be working - let’s take the stairs.
▪ The headlights don’t work and the brakes need fixing.
▪ This camera doesn’t work - I’ll have to take it back to the store.
▷ there’s something wrong with /ðeəʳz ˌsʌmθɪŋ ˈrɒŋ wɪð something ǁ-ˈrɔːŋ-/ [verb phrase]
if there is something wrong with a machine, car etc, it does not work properly, but you do not know exactly why :
▪ There’s something wrong with my car: I think it might be the battery.
▪ There was something wrong with the photocopier, so we called in the service company.
have something wrong with something
▪ If the VCR has something wrong with it, take it back to the store.
▷ broken /ˈbrəʊkən/ [adjective]
not working - use this especially about a small machine or a small piece of equipment :
▪ ‘What’s the time?’ ‘I don’t know, my watch is broken.’
▪ I think the doorbell must be broken - I didn’t hear anything.
▪ a broken dishwasher
▷ be out of order /biː ˌaʊt əv ˈɔːʳdəʳ/ [verb phrase]
if a machine, especially one used by the public, is out of order it is not working for a temporary period :
▪ Every phone I tried was out of order.
▪ The toilets are almost always out of order.
▷ be out of action /biː ˌaʊt əv ˈækʃ ə n/ [verb phrase] especially British
if a vehicle or machine is out of action, it cannot be used at the moment because it is broken :
▪ Three of our tanks are out of action.
▪ These planes may be out of action for a week, just for regular maintenance.
▪ Our washing machine’s out of action at the moment, so we use the laundry down the road.
▷ be down /biː ˈdaʊn/ [verb phrase]
if a computer system is down, it is not working :
▪ The computer system was down all afternoon so we went home.
go down
stop working
▪ The network went down at 11:00 and we lost the whole morning’s work.
▷ be on the blink /biː ɒn ðə ˈblɪŋk/ informal also be on the fritz /biː ˌɒn ðə ˈfrɪtz/ American informal [verb phrase]
if a piece of electrical equipment such as a television or washing machine is on the blink or on the fritz, it sometimes works and sometimes does not :
▪ My TV’s on the blink again.
go on the blink/fritz
▪ The car’s air conditioning went on the fritz just as we reached Dallas.
▷ temperamental /ˌtemp ə rəˈmentl◂/ [adjective] informal
a machine, car etc that is temperamental works some of the time but not all the time :
▪ Jo’s car is very temperamental in the mornings. Sometimes it starts and sometimes it doesn’t.
▪ The only heating was from a temperamental iron stove in the centre of each hut.
▷ has gone British is gone American /həz ˈgɒn, ɪz ˈgɒnǁ-ˈgɔːn/ [verb phrase]
if you say that part of a machine, especially a car, has gone or is gone, you mean that it has stopped working properly :
▪ I’m not sure what’s wrong with my car - I think the clutch has gone.
▪ If the gearbox is gone it’ll cost you a fortune.
▪ ‘What’s that noise?’ ‘It sounds like the suspension’s going.’
▷ has had it /həz ˈhæd ɪt/ [verb phrase]
if you say that a machine has had it you mean that it is completely broken and cannot be repaired :
▪ I’m afraid the stereo’s had it.
▷ bust /bʌst/ [adjective not before noun] British busted [adjective] /ˈbʌstɪd, ˈbʌstəd/ especially American
broken or badly damaged :
▪ Our television’s bust, and so’s the radio.
▪ There’s no point in trying to mend it, it’s completely bust.
▪ You can’t record anything - the VCR’s busted.
▪ a busted air-conditioner
4. to stop working
▷ something goes wrong /ˌsʌmθɪŋ gəʊz ˈrɒŋǁ-ˈrɔːŋ/ [verb phrase]
if something goes wrong with a machine, it stops working normally - use this especially about complicated equipment, when you do not know what the problem is :
▪ Who’ll fix my computer if something goes wrong?
something goes wrong with
▪ Occasionally something went wrong with the projector and the movie was canceled.
▪ Something’s gone wrong with my washing machine.
▷ break down /ˌbreɪk ˈdaʊn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if a car, bus, train, or large machine breaks down, it stops working completely :
▪ She was late for the meeting because her car broke down.
▪ The elevators in this building are always breaking down.
breakdown /ˈbreɪkdaʊn/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ A mechanical breakdown during the race would mean defeat.
▷ crash /kræʃ/ [intransitive verb]
if a computer crashes, it suddenly stops working, and information is often lost because of this :
▪ I installed the new program and my computer crashed.
▪ Hundreds of hospital records were wiped out when the network crashed.
▷ cut out /ˌkʌt ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if an engine cuts out, it suddenly stops working :
▪ Every time Mark slowed down the engine cut out.
▪ I started to go up the hill and the engine just cut out on me.
▷ fail /feɪl/ [intransitive verb] especially written
if a part of a machine or of a piece of electrical equipment fails, it stops working :
▪ The driver of the car claims that his brakes failed and he was unable to stop.
▪ In the last ten minutes of the game, one of the television cameras failed.
▪ One of the engines failed at 30,000 feet.
failure /ˈfeɪljəʳ/ [uncountable noun]
mechanical/equipment/engine failure
▪ Investigators traced the cause of the crash to engine failure.
▷ malfunction /mælˈfʌŋkʃ ə n/ [intransitive verb] formal
to stop working properly :
▪ This is a sign that the computer’s hard disk is malfunctioning.
▪ Both satellites entered orbit but quickly malfunctioned.
malfunction [countable noun]
▪ Someone at the plant has to be ready to deal with equipment malfunctions at any time.
▷ pack up /ˌpæk ˈʌp/ [intransitive phrasal verb] British informal
if a machine packs up, it stops working, especially because it is old :
▪ When this record player packs up, I’ll buy a CD player.
▪ They won’t know what to do if a pipe bursts or if the heater packs up.
5. to stop a machine from working
▷ break /breɪk/ [transitive verb]
to stop a machine from working by damaging it, especially by damaging it so badly that it cannot be used again :
▪ One of the kids put some rocks in the blender and broke it.
▪ I don’t know what she did, but she managed to break the sewing machine.
▷ disable /dɪsˈeɪb ə l/ [transitive verb] written
to make a machine or a system unable to work :
▪ The robbers had disabled the bank’s security system.
▪ The tank’s navigational system had been disabled during a grenade attack.
▷ put something out of action /ˌpʊt something aʊt əv ˈækʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to deliberately stop a machine or piece of equipment from working properly by damaging it, especially because you want to stop an enemy from using it :
▪ An electronic mine exploded under the ship and put it out of action.
▪ Reporting from the area was difficult even before terrorists put all the telephone lines out of action.
▷ immobilize also immobilise British /ɪˈməʊbɪlaɪz, ɪˈməʊbəlaɪz/ [transitive verb]
to stop a vehicle from working, especially a military vehicle :
▪ Demonstrators immobilized tanks using gasoline bombs.
▪ Kendrick had only a few minutes to immobilize the aircraft.
6. not broken or damaged
▷ intact /ɪnˈtækt/ [adjective not before noun]
not broken or damaged, in spite of being hit, dropped etc :
▪ Despite the bombing, the house was still intact.
▪ The toys have to be intact in their original boxes or they’re not worth anything.
▪ Our furniture survived the long journey more or less intact.
▷ in one piece /ɪn ˌwʌn ˈpiːs/ [adverb]
if something arrives or is moved in one piece, it does not get broken in spite of being moved :
▪ I don’t know how we got the piano down in one piece!
▪ The china arrived all in one piece, thank God.