broken and crushed share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. broken means “physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split”. crushed means “treated so as to have a permanently wrinkled appearance”. broken is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbɹoʊkən/
1.adj.physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
“a broken mirror”
2.adj.not continuous in space, time, or sequence or varying abruptly
“broken lines of defense”
3.adj.subdued or brought low in condition or status
“brought low”
/ˈkɹʌʃt/
1.adj.treated so as to have a permanently wrinkled appearance
“crushed velvet”
2.adj.subdued or brought low in condition or status
“brought low”
| broken | crushed | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɹoʊkən/ | /ˈkɹʌʃt/ |
| Said | BROH-kuhn | kruhsht |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | adjective | adjective |
| Senses | 13 | 2 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | none recorded |
Full entry for broken · Full entry for crushed · More comparisons