Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bankrupt

/ˈbæŋk.ɹəpt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.73 in modern English

Syllables
bank-rupt
IPA
/ˈbæŋk.ɹəpt/
16
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

In a condition of bankruptcy; unable to pay outstanding debts or meet financial obligations; specifically, having been legally declared insolvent.

adj

Destitute of, or wholly lacking a good quality, value, etc. one should possess or once possessed.

verb

To force into bankruptcy.

Transitive verb

verb

to get placed last in Tycoon with the bankruptcy rule

noun

One who becomes unable to pay his or her debts; an insolvent person; a bankruptee.

noun

A trader who secretes himself, or does certain other acts tending to defraud his creditors.

British usage; Obsolete

Example Sentences

Etymology

Partial calque of Italian bancarotta (literally “a broken bench”), from banca (“bank”, literally “bench”) + rotta (“broken, rupted”), which refers to an out-of-business bank, having its bench physically broken, signifying that the working moneylender was insolvent.

Word Breakdown

Usage

Inflected Forms

more bankrupt (comparative) most bankrupt (superlative) bankrupts (present, singular) bankrupting (participle, present) bankrupted (participle, past) bankrupted (past) bankrupts (plural)

Derived Forms

bankruptcy bankruptee bankrupter bankruptism bankruptlike bankruptly bankruptness bankruptship nonbankrupt rebankrupt unbankrupt unbankrupted

Phrases

bankrupt cart bankrupt worm go bankrupt morally bankrupt

Frequently Paired Words

defunct illiquid insolvent

Synonyms

almsless arm badly off bankrupt beggared beggarly boracic broke broken broker than the Ten Commandments depauperate destitute

Questions

How do you pronounce bankrupt?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbæŋk.ɹəpt/.
What does bankrupt mean?
In a condition of bankruptcy; unable to pay outstanding debts or meet financial obligations; specifically, having been legally declared insolvent.
Where does bankrupt come from?
Partial calque of Italian bancarotta (literally “a broken bench”), from banca (“bank”, literally “bench”) + rotta (“broken, rupted”), which refers to an out-of-business bank, having its bench physically broken, signifying that the working moneylender was insolvent.

How to pronounce bankrupt

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bankrupt”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbæŋk.ɹəpt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “bankrupt”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “bankrupt” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.