bankrupt
bank·rupt/ˈbæŋk.ɹəpt/adjective, verb, noun
bankrupt is spelled B-A-N-K-R-U-P-T: 8 letters and 2 syllables (bank·rupt). It appears 5.4 times per million words in written English, the 10,680th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, bankrupt means “In a condition of bankruptcy; unable to pay outstanding debts or meet financial obligations; specifically, having been legally declared insolvent” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in bankrupt?
| Letters | 8: B-A-N-K-R-U-P-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: bank·rupt |
| In writing | 5.4 times per million words; the 10,680th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is bankrupt?
Bankrupt appears 5.4 times per million words in written English, the 10,680th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce bankrupt?
- /ˈbæŋk.ɹəpt/
- /ˈbæŋk.ɹʌpt/
- /ˈbeɪ̯ŋk.ɹəpt/
Bankrupt has 2 syllables, split bank·rupt in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-bankrupt.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of bankrupt
- more bankrupt comparative
- most bankrupt superlative
- bankrupts present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- bankrupting participle, present
- bankrupted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bankrupt mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
In a condition of bankruptcy; unable to pay outstanding debts or meet financial obligations; specifically, having been legally declared insolvent.
a bankrupt merchant
- 2
Destitute of, or wholly lacking a good quality, value, etc. one should possess or once possessed.
a morally bankrupt politician
verb
- 1
To force into bankruptcy.
- 2
to get placed last in Tycoon with the bankruptcy rule
noun
- 1
One who becomes unable to pay his or her debts; an insolvent person; a bankruptee.
- 2
UKobsoleteA trader who secretes himself, or does certain other acts tending to defraud his creditors.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate bankrupt?
Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of bankrupt: bkpt, bkpt..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bankrupt in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | en faillite, failli |
| German | bankrott , in den Konkurs treiben |
| Portuguese | bancarrota, falido |
| Spanish | quebrado, arruinado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).