What does brokenness mean?
Brokenness is a noun denoting the condition of being broken, whether in a literal sense — a shattered object or ruined structure — or in figurative senses relating to emotional pain, psychological damage, or spiritual distress. The word derives from "broken," the past participle of the ancient verb "break," combined with the noun-forming suffix "-ness." While its literal use is relatively straightforward, brokenness has become especially prominent in religious and therapeutic contexts. In Christian spirituality in particular, brokenness is often reframed as a positive state of humility and dependence on God, a necessary posture for grace and renewal. In psychology and self-help literature, it similarly names a starting point for recovery and healing. The term's connotations are therefore double-edged: it acknowledges genuine suffering and damage while implying the possibility of restoration. Its frequent pairing with words like "healing," "redemption," and "wholeness" reflects this underlying narrative of repair, making brokenness less a terminal state than a threshold one.
nounThe state or quality of being broken, whether physically shattered or damaged. More broadly, it denotes a state of emotional, spiritual, or social devastation or dysfunction.
- The physical state of being damaged, shattered, or no longer intact.
- A state of emotional distress, vulnerability, or psychological damage.
- In religious contexts, a state of humility and contrition before God, often viewed positively as a precondition for spiritual renewal.
"In the quiet of the chapel, he finally acknowledged the brokenness he had carried for years."
"Years of neglect had left the old house in visible brokenness, its windows dark and doors hanging askew."
"Her memoir traces her journey from brokenness to healing after the loss of her son."
Though built from a word as old as English itself, "brokenness" found its modern fame not in describing shattered vases but in describing shattered lives — it has become one of the most searched-for words in spiritual and self-help writing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of brokenness
Brokenness is formed from "broken," the past participle of the verb "break," combined with the suffix "-ness." "Break" descends from Old English "brecan," meaning to shatter or divide forcibly, which traces back to Proto-Germanic roots shared with cognates such as Dutch "breken" and German "brechen." The suffix "-ness," likewise of Old English origin, converts adjectives into abstract nouns denoting a state or quality. Though the components are ancient, the compound "brokenness" in its modern figurative and spiritual senses gained wide currency only in more recent centuries, flourishing particularly in religious and therapeutic writing.
Related word forms
How brokenness is actually used
"Brokenness" carries a predominantly serious, often solemn register. It appears frequently in religious, therapeutic, and literary writing, where it can carry either negative connotations (suffering, damage) or positive ones (spiritual humility and openness to transformation). In everyday speech about objects, simpler phrasing such as "it's broken" is usually preferred over the abstract noun.
Easily confused with brokenness
"Breaking" refers to the act or process of something being broken, while "brokenness" describes the resulting state of having been broken.