Street voices
Janna
·
United States
"Broke, um, basically means, you know, you're poor, you have no money, that's what being broke is. Typically, people don't really use it when they generally are homeless or have no money, it's just, you know, maybe their parents haven't given them their allowance yet, or they haven't gotten their paycheck yet, so, you know, for the moment, they are broke. But commonly used by, like, college students, and whatnot. An example would be, man, this is my third week living off instant ramen noodles. I'm literally so broke."
What it means
Broke means you've got little to no money right now. Not full life-collapse poor, more my card's wheezing, rent ate me alive, and the fun budget is spiritually dead. People use it for everyday cash droughts, often with a bit of drama for flavor. You can be broke today and still be plotting snacks for tomorrow.
Usage examples
"I wanted concert tickets so bad, but after rent and ramen money, I'm broke till Friday and surviving on vibes alone."
"I'd come out for brunch, but I'm broke in a cinematic way till payday, so it's toast at home and delusion for dessert."
"Nah, don't suggest another round, I'm broke broke. My bank app just opened up to laugh at me."
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Where it comes from
This use grows out of the older English meaning of broke as broken. By the 19th century, people were using broken to mean financially ruined, and broke became the punchier everyday version for being out of money. Over time it softened in casual speech, so now it often means temporarily skint rather than totally destitute.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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