cracked up
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
Bankrupt; penniless.
Register: archaic, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
He suddenly started doing an impression of an announcer and we all cracked up.Một cách bất ngờ anh ấy bắt đầu làm một điều ấn tượng của một người giới thiệu và tất cả chúng tôi đều tán dương ca ngợi anh ta.
Tatoeba sentence #282912 (CC BY 2.0 FR, tatoeba.org, retrieved 2026-07-31)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
penniless or ruined.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “cracked up” mean?
Bankrupt; penniless.
Is “cracked up” formal or informal?
cracked up is generally archaic, slang.