Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In a broken, interrupted manner; without regularity.
  • In broken or imperfect language.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb In a broken, interrupted manner; in a broken state; in broken language.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb In a broken manner.
  • adverb of speech With spaces between words, especially due to emotion.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • He made a swift motion toward her, saying her name brokenly in his choked voice, but he crumpled suddenly and slid from his chair to the floor and was still.

    Play the Game! Ruth Comfort Mitchell 1918

  • Ovide! "she called brokenly, staring blankly around the room.

    A Lover in Homespun And Other Stories 1901

  • "Here, Polly," he called brokenly, "this is something beyond me.

    Five Little Peppers Abroad Margaret Sidney 1884

  • For answer, through the din of the elements, a voice called brokenly, sobbingly:

    The Eternal Maiden T. Everett Harr��

  • I shall not be worthy to be called your sister, but, "brokenly," you need not have feared.

    Madeline Payne, the Detective's Daughter Lawrence L. Lynch

  • I'm struggling to believe that there are men and women out there who will recoil from an unvajazzled vagina, crying brokenly, "but where are the jewels?"

    How sexy are your underarms? 2011

  • The offendor arose brokenly, shook off the detaining hand of his girl, and came over.

    CHAPTER III 2010

  • After he left the house she flung herself on the bed and cried heart-brokenly.

    CHAPTER XIII 2010

  • He spent the afternoon in a deck-chair, with closed eyes, dozing brokenly most of the time, and in the evening went early to bed.

    Chapter 46 2010

  • The women screamed softly, crossed themselves, or prayed brokenly, hiding their eyes and peeping through their fingers.

    Chapter 4 2010

Comments

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  • "Kenneth was like a brother to me", said Tom brokenly.

    October 30, 2007