Broken vs Injured

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Broken

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 adjective

Injured

Top 2,000 (common) B1

Most common: Broken

	Broken	Injured
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈbrəʊkən/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈbrəʊkən/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈɪndʒəd/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈɪndʒərd/"]/
Meaning	not working or damaged	hurt or harmed in some way
Example	The window is broken and needs to be fixed.	After the accident, several people were injured and needed medical attention.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	A2	B1
Part of speech	adjective
Collocations	be, get, badly	be, lie, get, badly, critically, gravely
Antonyms	whole, intact, fixed	healed, uninjured, fit
Common mistakes	Confusing 'broken' with 'broke' (the past tense of 'break'), Using 'broken' in a context where 'damaged' is more appropriate, Forget to use 'broken' with a noun (e.g. 'broken car' not just 'broken')	'Injured' is often mistakenly used for emotional harm., Learners might confuse 'injured' with 'ill' which refers to sickness., Overusing 'injured' when 'hurt' could be simpler.
Usage notes	Use 'broken' when describing items that are not functioning or are physically damaged. It is neutral and can be used in both casual and formal contexts.	Use 'injured' in contexts where someone has been hurt in an accident or while playing sports. Avoid using it in overly formal writing.

See it in real clips

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. › S1 E1

Your fireplace is broken.

Breaking Bad › S1 E3

are you gonna stick me with that broken piece of plate?

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms › S1 E1

He'd have broken your hand or a knee, if he could.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. › S1 E1

Your fireplace is broken.

Breaking Bad › S1 E3

are you gonna stick me with that broken piece of plate?

Broken

Frequently asked questions: Broken vs Injured

What's the difference between Broken and Injured?

Broken: not working or damaged Injured: hurt or harmed in some way

Which is more common: Broken and Injured?

Broken is the most common in everyday English.

Which is more advanced: Broken and Injured?

Injured is the highest level, at B1, on the CEFR scale.

Are Broken and Injured the same CEFR level?

Broken: A2, Injured: B1 on the CEFR scale.

Can you show an example of each?

Broken: The window is broken and needs to be fixed. Injured: After the accident, several people were injured and needed medical attention.

Can I use Broken and Injured interchangeably?

Not always. Broken and Injured are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.