broken hill: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
lowformal/geographic/literary
Quick answer
What does “broken hill” mean?
A hill with a jagged, irregular, or collapsed summit.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A hill with a jagged, irregular, or collapsed summit; a hill that appears fractured or fragmented in form.
Used as a proper noun for specific place names (notably a city in Australia), metaphorically for something once whole that is now damaged or divided, or in mining contexts for a lode exposed by a geological fault.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical difference. Usage is tied to specific geographic names (e.g., Broken Hill, Australia; Broken Hill, Hong Kong). As a descriptive term, it's equally rare in both varieties.
Connotations
Geographical specificity (especially the Australian city) dominates over the descriptive meaning. Can carry historical/connotations related to mining (Australia).
Frequency
Extremely low frequency as a common noun phrase. High familiarity as a place name in specific regions.
Grammar
How to Use “broken hill” in a Sentence
[to] overlook the broken hill[to] name a town Broken Hill[to] describe the landscape as broken hillsVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “broken hill” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The glacier **broke the hill** into sheer cliffs over millennia.
American English
- The fault line **broke the hill** in two.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Primarily in historical/geographic context (e.g., 'Broken Hill mining stocks').
Academic
In geography, geology, or historical studies referring to specific locations or landforms.
Everyday
Almost exclusively as a place name. Descriptive use is poetic/rare.
Technical
In geology, can describe a hill formed or significantly altered by faulting.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “broken hill”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “broken hill”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “broken hill”
- Using 'Broken Hill' as a common noun without articles (e.g., 'We saw broken hill') – it usually requires 'a/the' or capitalization.
- Confusing it with 'hill broken' (ungrammatical).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
When referring to the specific city in Australia or other named locations, yes, it is a proper noun and always capitalized. When used descriptively (rare), it is not capitalized.
Yes, though it's not a fixed idiom. It can metaphorically describe anything once unified now fragmented (e.g., 'their alliance was a broken hill').
The city of Broken Hill in far west New South Wales, Australia, founded on one of the world's richest silver, lead, and zinc deposits.
No, this is not a verb. The phrase is a noun phrase or a proper noun.
A hill with a jagged, irregular, or collapsed summit.
Broken hill is usually formal/geographic/literary in register.
Broken hill: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbrəʊkən ˈhɪl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbroʊkən ˈhɪl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[rare] a Broken Hill of problems (a collection of difficult, fragmented issues)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a hill with a **broken** silhouette against the sky, like a piece of pottery cracked at the top.
Conceptual Metaphor
A BROKEN HILL IS A DAMAGED/FROM-THE-PAST OBJECT; A BROKEN HILL IS A SOURCE OF HIDDEN WEALTH (via mining metaphor).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'broken hill' most commonly used as a standard common noun phrase?