释义 |
break down
break B0450700 (brāk)v. broke (brōk), bro·ken (brō′kən), break·ing, breaks v.tr.1. To cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently; smash.2. a. To divide into pieces, as by bending or cutting: break crackers for a baby.b. To separate into components or parts: broke the work into discrete tasks.3. To snap off or detach: broke a twig from the tree.4. a. To cause to undergo a fracture of (a bone, for example): The impact of the fall broke his leg.b. To experience a fracture in (a bone, for example): I broke my wrist when skateboarding.5. To crack without separating into pieces: broke the mirror.6. a. To destroy the completeness of (a group of related items): broke the set of books by giving some away.b. To exchange for smaller monetary units: break a dollar.7. To vary or disrupt the uniformity or continuity of: a plain that was broken by low hills; caught the ball without breaking stride.8. Electricity To render (a circuit) inoperative by disruption; open.9. To open (a shotgun or similar firearm) at the breech, as for loading or cleaning.10. a. To force or make a way through; puncture or penetrate: The blade barely broke the skin.b. To part or pierce the surface of: a dolphin breaking water.11. To produce (a sweat) copiously on the skin, as from exercise.12. To force one's way out of; escape from: break jail.13. To make or bring about by cutting or forcing: break a trail through the woods.14. a. To find an opening or flaw in: They couldn't break my alibi.b. To find the solution or key to; uncover the basic elements and arrangement of: break a code; break a spy ring.15. To make known, as news: break a story.16. To surpass or outdo: broke the league's home-run record.17. To overcome or put an end to, especially by force or strong opposition: break a deadlock in negotiations; break a strike.18. Sports To win a game on (an opponent's service), as in tennis.19. To lessen the force or effect of: break a fall.20. To render useless or inoperative: We accidentally broke the radio.21. To weaken or destroy, as in spirit or health; overwhelm with adversity: "For a hero loves the world till it breaks him" (William Butler Yeats).22. To cause the ruin or failure of (an enterprise, for example): Indiscretion broke both marriage and career.23. To reduce in rank; demote.24. To cause to be without money or to go into bankruptcy.25. To fail to fulfill; cancel: break an engagement.26. To fail to conform to; violate: break the speed limit.27. Law To cause (a will) to be invalidated because of inconsistency with state inheritance laws or as a result of other legal insufficiency.28. a. To give up (a habit).b. To cause to give up a habit: They managed to break themselves of smoking.29. To train to obey; tame: The horse was difficult to break.v.intr.1. To become separated into pieces or fragments.2. To become cracked or split.3. To become fractured: His arm broke from the fall.4. To become unusable or inoperative: The television broke.5. To give way; collapse: The scaffolding broke during the storm.6. To burst: The blister broke.7. a. To intrude: They broke in upon our conversation.b. To filter in or penetrate: Sunlight broke into the room.8. To scatter or disperse; part: The clouds broke after the storm.9. Games To make the opening shot that scatters the grouped balls in billiards or pool.10. Sports To separate from a clinch in boxing.11. Sports To win a game on the opponent's service, as in tennis: broke twice in the first set.12. To move away or escape suddenly: broke from his grip and ran off.13. To come forth or begin from a state of latency; come into being or emerge: A storm was breaking over Miami. Crocuses broke from the soil.14. To emerge above the surface of water.15. To become known or noticed: The big story broke on Friday.16. To change direction or move suddenly: The quarterback broke to the left to avoid a tackler.17. Baseball To curve near or over the plate: The pitch broke away from the batter.18. To change suddenly from one tone quality or musical register to another: His voice broke into a falsetto.19. Linguistics To undergo breaking.20. To change to a gait different from the one set. Used of a horse.21. To interrupt or cease an activity: We'll break for coffee at ten.22. To discontinue an association, an agreement, or a relationship: The partners broke over a financial matter. One hates to break with an old friend.23. To diminish or discontinue abruptly: The fever is breaking.24. To diminish in or lose physical or spiritual strength; weaken or succumb: Their good cheer broke after repeated setbacks.25. To decrease sharply in value or quantity: Stock prices broke when the firm suddenly announced layoffs.26. To come to an end: The cold spell broke yesterday.27. To collapse or crash into surf or spray: waves that were breaking along the shore.28. Informal To take place or happen; proceed: Things have been breaking well for them.29. To engage in breaking; break dance.n.1. The act or an occurrence of breaking.2. The result of breaking, as a crack, separation, or opening: a break in the clouds.3. The beginning or emergence of something: the break of day.4. A sudden movement; a dash: The dog made a break toward the open field.5. An escape: a prison break.6. An interruption or a disruption in continuity or regularity: television programming without commercial breaks.7. A pause or interval, as from work: a coffee break.8. A sudden or marked change: a break in the weather.9. A violation: a security break.10. An often sudden piece of luck, especially good luck: finally got the big break in life.11. Informal a. An allowance or indulgence; accommodating treatment: The boss gave me a break because I'd been sick.b. A favorable price or reduction: a tax break for charitable contributions.12. A severing of ties: made a break with the past; a break between the two families.13. Informal A faux pas.14. A sudden decline in prices.15. A caesura.16. Printing a. The space between two paragraphs.b. A series of three dots ( ... ) used to indicate an omission in a text.c. The place where a word is or should be divided at the end of a line.17. Electricity Interruption of a flow of current.18. Geology A marked change in topography such as a fault or deep valley.19. Nautical The point of discontinuity between two levels on the deck of a ship.20. Music a. The point at which one register or tonal quality changes to another.b. The change itself.c. An improvised instrumental solo played in jazz and other popular music while the other musicians stop or play softly.21. A change in a horse's gait to one different from that set by the rider.22. Sports The swerving of a ball from a straight path of flight, as in baseball or cricket.23. Sports The beginning of a race.24. Sports a. A fast break.b. The separation after a clinch in boxing.25. Games The opening shot that scatters the grouped balls in billiards or pool.26. Games A run or unbroken series of successful shots, as in billiards or croquet.27. Sports & Games Failure to score a strike or a spare in a given bowling frame.28. Sports A service break.29. Variant of brake6.30. Break dancing.Phrasal Verbs: break away1. To separate or detach oneself, as from a group.2. To move rapidly away from or ahead of a group: The cyclist broke away from the pack.3. To discontinue customary practice. break down1. To cause to collapse; destroy: break down a partition; broke down our resolve.2. To become or cause to become distressed or upset. To have a physical or mental collapse.3. To give up resistance; give way: prejudices that break down slowly.4. To fail to function; cease to be useful, effective, or operable: The elevator broke down.5. To render or become weak or ineffective: Opposition to the king's rule gradually broke down his authority.6. To divide into or consider in parts; analyze. To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.7. To decompose or cause to decompose chemically.8. Electricity To undergo a breakdown. break in1. To train or adapt for a purpose.2. To loosen or soften with use: break in new shoes.3. To enter premises forcibly or illegally: a prowler who was trying to break in.4. To interrupt a conversation or discussion. To intrude.5. To begin an activity or undertaking: The Senator broke in during the war years. break into1. To interrupt: "No one would have dared to break into his abstraction" (Alan Paton).2. To begin suddenly: The horse broke into a wild gallop. The child broke into a flood of tears.3. To enter (a field of activity): broke into broadcast journalism at an early age. break off1. To separate or become separated, as by twisting or tearing.2. To stop suddenly, as in speaking.3. To discontinue (a relationship). To cease to be friendly. break out1. To become affected with a skin eruption, such as pimples.2. To develop suddenly and forcefully: Fighting broke out in the prison cells.3. To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles! To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.4. To emerge or escape.5. To be separable or classifiable into categories, as data.6. To isolate (information) from a large body of data. break through To make a sudden, quick advance, as through an obstruction. break up1. To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up. To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.2. To scatter; disperse: The crowd broke up after the game.3. To cease to function or cause to stop functioning as an organized unit or group: His jazz band broke up. The new CEO broke up the corporation.4. To bring or come to an end: Guards broke up the fight. They argued, and their friendship broke up.5. Informal To burst or cause to burst into laughter.Idioms: break a leg Used to wish someone, such as an actor, success in a performance. break bread To eat together. break camp To pack up equipment and leave a campsite. break cover To emerge from a protected location or hiding place: The platoon broke cover and headed down the road. break even To gain an amount equal to that invested, as in a commercial venture. break ground1. To begin a new construction project.2. To advance beyond previous achievements. break new ground To advance beyond previous achievements: broke new ground in the field of computers. break (one's) neck To make the utmost possible effort.break rank/ranks1. To fall into disorder, as a formation of soldiers.2. To fail to conform to a prevailing or expected pattern or order: "Architectural experts have criticized the plaza in the past because it breaks rank with the distinctive façades of neighboring Fifth Avenue blocks, whose buildings are flush with the sidewalk" (Sharon Churcher). break (someone's) heart To disappoint or dispirit someone severely. break the bank To require more money than is available. break the buck To fall below the value of one dollar. Used of the net asset value of a mutual fund, especially a money market fund. break the ice1. To make a start.2. To relax a tense or unduly formal atmosphere or social situation. break wind To expel intestinal gas. [Middle English breken, from Old English brecan; see bhreg- in Indo-European roots.]Synonyms: break, crack, fracture, burst, splinter, shatter, smash These verbs mean to become separated into parts or pieces, either by the sudden application of force or by the pressure of internal stress. Break is the most general: That delicate ornament will break easily. The bag held so many heavy things that it broke. To crack is to break without dividing into parts: The building's foundation cracked during the earthquake. Crack can also mean to break apart: "Burning branches crack from trees and fall in showers of sparks at my feet" (Suzanne Collins). Fracture applies to a break or crack in a rigid body: Heat and pressure caused the bedrock to fracture. Burst implies a sudden coming apart, especially from internal pressure: "Even when their bellies seemed about to burst, their mouths craved more and they drank on" (Ian McEwan). Splinter implies splitting into long, thin, sharp pieces: The boat's hull splintered when it hit the reef. To shatter is to break into many scattered pieces: The icicle shattered when it landed on the front steps. Smash stresses force of blow or impact and suggests complete destruction: I dropped the vase, and it smashed into pieces. All of these verbs can also be used transitively (that is, they can take a direct object) as in break the glass or fracture your arm. See Also Synonyms at opportunity.break down vb (adverb) 1. (intr) to cease to function; become ineffective: communications had broken down. 2. to yield or cause to yield, esp to strong emotion or tears: she broke down in anguish. 3. (tr) to crush or destroy4. (Psychiatry) (intr) to have a nervous breakdown5. to analyse or be subjected to analysis6. (Chemistry) to separate or cause to separate into simpler chemical elements; decompose7. (Forestry) (tr) NZ to saw (a large log) into planks8. break it down informal a. stop itb. don't expect me to believe that; come off it n 9. an act or instance of breaking down; collapse 10. (Psychiatry) short for nervous breakdown 11. an analysis or classification of something into its component parts: he prepared a breakdown of the report. 12. (Electronics) the sudden electrical discharge through an insulator or between two electrodes in a vacuum or gas discharge tube 13. (Electrical Engineering) electrical engineering the sudden transition, dependent on the bias magnitude, from a high to a low dynamic resistance in a semiconductor device 14. (Dancing) a lively American country dance ThesaurusVerb | 1. | break down - make ineffective; "Martin Luther King tried to break down racial discrimination"crushalter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" | | 2. | break down - make a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis of; break down into components or essential features; "analyze a specimen"; "analyze a sentence"; "analyze a chemical compound"analyze, dissect, take apart, analyseparse - analyze syntactically by assigning a constituent structure to (a sentence)botanise, botanize - collect and study plants | | 3. | break down - lose control of one's emotions; "When she heard that she had not passed the exam, she lost it completely"; "When her baby died, she snapped"lose it, snapbehave, act, do - behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people"dissolve - lose control emotionally; "She dissolved into tears when she heard that she had lost all her savings in the pyramid scheme"die - be brought to or as if to the point of death by an intense emotion such as embarrassment, amusement, or shame; "I was dying with embarrassment when my little lie was discovered"; "We almost died laughing during the show"fall apart, go to pieces - lose one's emotional or mental composure; "She fell apart when her only child died" | | 4. | break down - stop operating or functioning; "The engine finally went"; "The car died on the road"; "The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town"; "The coffee maker broke"; "The engine failed on the way to town"; "her eyesight went after the accident"conk out, go bad, die, fail, give out, give way, break, gochange - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night"break - render inoperable or ineffective; "You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!"croak, decease, die, drop dead, buy the farm, cash in one's chips, give-up the ghost, kick the bucket, pass away, perish, snuff it, pop off, expire, conk, exit, choke, go, pass - pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life; "She died from cancer"; "The children perished in the fire"; "The patient went peacefully"; "The old guy kicked the bucket at the age of 102"go down, crash - stop operating; "My computer crashed last night"; "The system goes down at least once a week"blow out, burn out, blow - melt, break, or become otherwise unusable; "The lightbulbs blew out"; "The fuse blew"misfire - fail to fire or detonate; "The guns misfired"malfunction, misfunction - fail to function or function improperly; "the coffee maker malfunctioned" | | 5. | break down - fall apart; "the building crumbled after the explosion"; "Negotiations broke down"crumble, crumple, collapse, tumblechange integrity - change in physical make-up | | 6. | break down - cause to fall or collapsebust, break - ruin completely; "He busted my radio!" | | 7. | break down - separate (substances) into constituent elements or partsdecompose, break upchemical science, chemistry - the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactionsdigest - soften or disintegrate by means of chemical action, heat, or moisturedissociate - to undergo a reversible or temporary breakdown of a molecule into simpler molecules or atoms; "acids dissociate to give hydrogen ions"crack - reduce (petroleum) to a simpler compound by crackingseparate - divide into components or constituents; "Separate the wheat from the chaff" | | 8. | break down - collapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attackcollapsedrop like flies - rapidly collapse, die, or drop out in large numbers; "the contestants dropped like flies when the thermometer hit one hundred degrees"fall over, go over - fall forward and down; "The old woman went over without a sound"suffer, sustain, have, get - undergo (as of injuries and illnesses); "She suffered a fracture in the accident"; "He had an insulin shock after eating three candy bars"; "She got a bruise on her leg"; "He got his arm broken in the scuffle" |
breakverb1. To crack or split into two or more fragments by means of or as a result of force, a blow, or strain:fracture, rift, rive, shatter, shiver, smash, splinter, sunder.2. To become or cause to become apart one from another:detach, disjoin, disjoint, disunite, divide, divorce, part, separate, split (up).Idioms: part company, set at odds.3. To make a hole or other opening in.Also used with through:breach, gap, hole, perforate, pierce, puncture.4. To pass into or through by overcoming resistance.Also used with through:enter, penetrate, perforate, pierce, puncture.5. To find the key to (a code, for example):crack, decipher, decrypt, puzzle out.6. To make known:carry, communicate, convey, disclose, get across, impart, pass, report, tell, transmit.7. To be made public:come out, get out, out, transpire.Informal: leak (out).Idiom: come to light.8. To make or become unusable or inoperative:fail, ruin.Slang: bust.9. To impair severely something such as the spirit, health, or effectiveness of:crush, destroy, overwhelm, ruin.10. To give way mentally and emotionally.Also used with down:collapse, crack, snap.Informal: crack up, fold.11. To suddenly lose all health or strength.Also used with down:cave in, collapse, crack, drop, give out, succumb.Informal: crack up.Slang: conk out.Idiom: give way.12. To reduce to financial insolvency:bankrupt, bust, impoverish, pauperize, ruin.Slang: clean out.13. To undergo sudden financial failure:bust, collapse, crash, fail, go under.Informal: fold.Idioms: go belly up, go bust, go on the rocks, go to the wall.14. To lower in rank or grade:bump, degrade, demote, downgrade, reduce.Slang: bust.15. To fail to fulfill (a promise) or conform to (a regulation):breach, contravene, infringe, transgress, violate.16. To refuse or fail to obey:defy, disobey, flout, transgress, violate.Idiom: pay no attention to.17. To desist from, cease, or discontinue (a habit, for example):cut out, give up, leave off, stop.Slang: kick.18. To interrupt regular activity for a short period:recess.Idioms: take a break, take a breather, take five.19. To make (an animal) docile:bust, gentle, master, tame.phrasal verb break down1. To cause the complete ruin or wreckage of:bankrupt, cross up, demolish, destroy, finish, ruin, shatter, sink, smash, spoil, torpedo, undo, wash up, wrack, wreck.Slang: total.Idiom: put the kibosh on.2. To cease functioning properly:fail, give out.Slang: conk out.3. To separate into parts for study:analyze, anatomize, dissect, resolve.4. To take (something) apart:disassemble, dismantle, dismount, take down.5. To reduce or become reduced to pieces or components:break up, crumble, decompose, disintegrate, dissolve, fragment, fragmentize.6. To become or cause to become rotten or unsound:decay, decompose, deteriorate, disintegrate, molder, putrefy, rot, spoil, taint, turn.Idioms: go bad, go to pot, go to seed.phrasal verb break in1. To enter forcibly or illegally:burglarize.Law: trespass.2. To interject remarks or questions into another's discourse:chime in, chip in, cut in, interrupt.phrasal verb break off1. To stop suddenly, as a conversation, activity, or relationship:cease, discontinue, interrupt, suspend, terminate.2. To cease trying to accomplish or continue:abandon, desist, discontinue, give up, leave off, quit, relinquish, remit, stop.Informal: swear off.Slang: lay off.Idioms: call it a day, call it quits, hang up one's fiddle, have done with, throw in the towel.3. To terminate a relationship or an association by or as if by leaving one another:break up, part, separate.Informal: split (up).Idioms: call it quits, come to a parting of the ways, part company.phrasal verb break out1. To become manifest suddenly and in full force:burst (forth or out), erupt, explode, flare (up).2. To break loose and leave suddenly, as from confinement or from a difficult or threatening situation:abscond, decamp, escape, flee, fly, get away, run away.Informal: skip (out).Slang: lam.Regional: absquatulate.Idioms: blow the coop, cut and run, give someone the slip, make a getaway, take flight, take it on the lam.phrasal verb break up1. To make a division into parts, sections, or branches:dissever, divide, part, partition, section, segment, separate.2. To reduce or become reduced to pieces or components:break down, crumble, decompose, disintegrate, dissolve, fragment, fragmentize.3. To terminate a relationship or an association by or as if by leaving one another:break off, part, separate.Informal: split (up).Idioms: call it quits, come to a parting of the ways, part company.4. Informal. To express great amusement or mirth:guffaw, roar.Slang: howl.noun1. An opening, especially in a solid structure:breach, gap, hole, perforation, rupture.2. A usually narrow partial opening caused by splitting and rupture:chink, cleavage, cleft, crack, crevice, fissure, rift, split.3. The act or an instance of escaping, as from confinement or difficulty:breakout, decampment, escape, escapement, flight, getaway.Slang: lam.4. A cessation of continuity or regularity:discontinuance, discontinuation, discontinuity, disruption, interruption, pause, suspension.5. An interval during which continuity is suspended:gap, hiatus, interim, lacuna, void.6. A pause or interval, as from work or duty:intermission, recess, respite, rest, time-out.Informal: breather.7. A favorable or advantageous combination of circumstances:chance, occasion, opening, opportunity.Informal: shot.8. An interruption in friendly relations:alienation, breach, disaffection, estrangement, fissure, rent, rift, rupture, schism, split.Translationsbreak (breik) – past tense broke (brouk) : past participle brəken (ˈbroukən) – verb1. to divide into two or more parts (by force). (以外力)分成兩個或多個 破碎2. (usually with off/away) to separate (a part) from the whole (by force). 拆斷 拆断3. to make or become unusable. 損壞 损坏4. to go against, or not act according to (the law etc). He broke his appointment at the last minute. 違反 违反5. to do better than (a sporting etc record). 打破(紀錄) 打破(纪录) 6. to interrupt. She broke her journey in London. 中斷 中止7. to put an end to. He broke the silence. 結束 结束8. to make or become known. They gently broke the news of his death to his wife. 透露 透露9. (of a boy's voice) to fall in pitch. (男孩的聲音)變低沉 (指男孩嗓音)变粗,变粗浑 10. to soften the effect of (a fall, the force of the wind etc). 減弱 减弱11. to begin. The storm broke before they reached shelter. 開始 开始 noun1. a pause. a break in the conversation. 停頓 停顿2. a change. a break in the weather. 變化 变化3. an opening. 開始 开始4. a chance or piece of (good or bad) luck. This is your big break. 運氣 运气ˈbreakable adjective (negative unbreakable) likely to break. breakable toys. 易破碎的 易破碎的 noun (usually in plural) something likely to break. 易破碎的東西 易破碎的东西ˈbreakage (-kidʒ) noun the act of breaking, or its result(s). 破損 破损ˈbreaker noun a (large) wave which breaks on rocks or the beach. 衝擊岸邊的碎浪 碎浪ˈbreakdown noun1. (often nervous breakdown) a mental collapse. 精神崩潰 精神崩溃2. a mechanical failure causing a stop. The car has had another breakdown. See also break down. 故障 (机械)故障 break-inbreak in(to)ˈbreakneck adjective (usually of speed) dangerous. He drove at breakneck speed. 非常危險的 非常危险的breakoutbreak outˈbreakthrough noun a sudden solution of a problem leading to further advances, especially in science. 突破 突破ˈbreakwater noun a barrier to break the force of the waves. 防波堤 防波堤break away to escape from control. The dog broke away from its owner. 脫逃 脱逃break down1. to use force on (a door etc) to cause it to open. 打破 打破2. to stop working properly. My car has broken down. 壞掉 坏掉3. to fail. The talks have broken down. 失敗 失败4. to be overcome with emotion. She broke down and wept. 情緒潰堤 (精神上)垮掉,情绪溃堤 break in(to)1. to enter (a house etc) by force or unexpectedly (noun ˈbreak-in. The Smiths have had two break-ins recently). 破門而入 破门而入2. to interrupt (someone's conversation etc). 中斷 打断break loose to escape from control. The dog has broken loose. 掙脫出來 挣脱出来break off to stop. She broke off in the middle of a sentence. 突然停止 突然停止break out1. to appear or happen suddenly. War has broken out. 突然發生 突然发生2. to escape (from prison, restrictions etc). A prisoner has broken out (noun ˈbreakout). 逃出 逃出break out in to (suddenly) become covered in a rash, in sweat etc. I'm allergic to strawberries. They make me break out in a rash. 突然冒出 突然出现break the ice to overcome the first shyness etc. Let's break the ice by inviting our new neighbours for a meal. 克服初見面時的尷尬 打破沉默break up1. to divide, separate or break into pieces. He broke up the old furniture and burnt it; John and Mary broke up (= separated from each other) last week. 決裂 决裂2. to finish or end. The meeting broke up at 4.40. 停止,結束 停止,结束 make a break for it to make an (attempt to) escape. When the guard is not looking, make a break for it. 設法逃脫 设法逃脱break down
break down1. verb Of a machine, to malfunction or break altogether. I'm afraid the blender is breaking down. It stopped working again today. She didn't come to the party because her car broke down on the way here.2. verb To fail or cease. Negotiations have broken down again, and I'm starting to worry that we'll never reach an agreement for a new contract.3. verb To destroy a physical structure. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "break" and "down." I'll break this door down if you don't come out here right now!4. verb To dismantle a societal obstacle. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "break" and "down." We owe a lot to the pioneering activists of earlier eras, who battled prejudice and broke down barriers.5. verb To lose control of one's emotions, often sadness, especially after trying not to or after an intense buildup. My mother seemed fine this morning, but she completely broke down at the funeral and cried through the whole thing.6. verb To methodically explain something step by step. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "break" and "down." Can you break down the healthcare proposal to me? I'm not very well informed about it.7. verb To reduce something to its component parts. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "break" and "down." If you break down water, it's just hydrogen and oxygen molecules. We need to break down the equipment and pack the truck as quickly as possible once the gig is over.8. verb To get someone else to do what one wants, often by coercion. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is typically used between "break" and "down." I'll threaten him if I have to—anything to break him down and get that classified information from him. The prosecutor was able to break down the defendant until he confessed.9. verb To give in to pressure; to acquiesce. If we keep asking mom and dad to get pizza, eventually they'll break down and order it.10. noun A state of collapse that is typically induced by some form of stress. In this usage, the phrase is typically written as one word. Once I learned the extent of my injuries, I had a complete breakdown and didn't leave my room for weeks. The coup was followed by a complete societal breakdown. The breakdown of our supply line was caused by an excessive demand.11. noun A methodical, step-by-step explanation of something. In this usage, the phrase is typically written as one word. Can you give me a breakdown of the healthcare proposal? I'm not very well informed about it.12. An itemized list. In this usage, the phrase is typically written as one word. We'd like to see a breakdown of the bill so we can see everything we've been charged for.See also: break, downbreak it down1. To explain something in steps. I know it can be confusing, but once I break it down for you, I think you'll start to get it.2. Stop! Quit it! Primarily heard in Australia. You guys are making too much noise—break it down!See also: break, downbreak someone downto force someone to give up and tell secrets or agree to do something. After threats of torture, they broke the spy down. They broke down the agent by threatening violence.See also: break, downbreak something down (into something) 1. to reduce a compound or its structure to its components. Heat will break this down into sodium and a few gases. Will heat break down this substance into anything useful? We broke it into little pieces. 2. to reduce a large numerical total to its subparts and explain each one. She broke the total down into its components. Please break down the total into its parts again. I'll break the total down for you. 3. to discuss the details of something by examining its subparts. (See also something down (for someone)">break something down (for someone).) Let's break this problem down into its parts and deal with each one separately. Breaking down complex problems into their components is almost fun. Let's break this issue down and discuss it.See also: break, downbreak something down 1. Lit. to tear something down; to destroy something. They used an ax to break the door down. We broke down the wall with big hammers. 2. Fig. to destroy a social or legal barrier. The court broke a number of legal barriers down this week. They had to break down many social prejudices to manage to succeed.See also: break, downbreak something down(for someone) Fig. to explain something to someone in simple terms or in an orderly fashion. (Alludes to breaking a complex problem into smaller segments which can be explained more easily. See also break something down (into something).) She doesn't understand. You will have to break it down for her. I can help. This is a confusing question. Let me break down the problem for you.See also: break, downbreak down (and cry)to surrender to demands or emotions and cry. Max finally broke down and confessed. I was afraid I would break down and cry from the sadness I felt.See also: break, down(nervous) breakdownFig. a physical and mental collapse brought on by great anxiety over a period of time. After month after month of stress and strain, Sally had a nervous breakdown.break down1. Demolish, destroy, either physically or figuratively, as in The carpenters broke down the partition between the bedrooms, or The governor's speeches broke down the teachers' opposition to school reform. [Late 1300s] 2. Separate into constituent parts, analyze. For example, I insisted that they break down the bill into the separate charges for parts and labor, or The chemist was trying to break down the compound's molecules. [Mid-1800s] 3. Stop functioning, cease to be effective or operable, as in The old dishwasher finally broke down. [Mid-1800s] 4. Become distressed or upset; also, have a physical or mental collapse, as in The funeral was too much for her and she broke down in tears, or After seeing all his work come to nothing, he broke down and had to be treated by a psychiatrist . [Late 1800s] See also: break, downbreak downv.1. To cause something to collapse, especially by hitting it: The firefighters broke down the door of the burning house. The bulldozer pushed at the old wall and broke it down.2. To collapse, especially as a result of force or pressure; give way: The door finally broke down after I kept hitting it with a club.3. To cause someone to stop resisting, especially by force or pressure: The police will break you down and make you talk. 4. To stop resisting; accede: My friends kept pleading with me to go to the beach, so I finally broke down and went along with them.5. To destroy or remove something, especially something viewed as a problem: This political party hopes to break down the barriers between social classes. Let's identify the obstacles and break them down.6. To stop functioning: The elevator broke down, so please use the stairs.7. To be a passenger in a vehicle that stops functioning: We're late because we broke down just outside the city.8. To fail despite effort; come to a stop: The negotiations between the warring nations broke down, and the fighting continued.9. To suffer an emotional or mental collapse: The stress of my new job was so high that I eventually broke down and couldn't go to work for days.10. To separate something into parts; take something apart: When the carnival was over, we broke down all the tents. The workers broke down the equipment and put it into storage.11. To examine or explain something by looking at its parts; analyze something: Break down your story into its main themes and write each part separately. This problem looks very difficult, but if we break it down, it becomes easy to solve.12. To be divisible into smaller parts: The population of the city breaks down into three main groups: the poor, the rich, and the middle class.See also: break, downbreak down
break down1. short for nervous breakdown2. the sudden electrical discharge through an insulator or between two electrodes in a vacuum or gas discharge tube 3. Electrical engineering the sudden transition, dependent on the bias magnitude, from a high to a low dynamic resistance in a semiconductor device 4. a lively American country dance FinancialSeebreakFinancialSeeb/dbreak down
Synonyms for break downverb make ineffectiveSynonymsRelated Wordsverb make a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis ofSynonyms- analyze
- dissect
- take apart
- analyse
Related Wordsverb lose control of one's emotionsSynonymsRelated Words- behave
- act
- do
- dissolve
- die
- fall apart
- go to pieces
verb stop operating or functioningSynonyms- conk out
- go bad
- die
- fail
- give out
- give way
- break
- go
Related Words- change
- break
- croak
- decease
- die
- drop dead
- buy the farm
- cash in one's chips
- give-up the ghost
- kick the bucket
- pass away
- perish
- snuff it
- pop off
- expire
- conk
- exit
- choke
- go
- pass
- go down
- crash
- blow out
- burn out
- blow
- misfire
- malfunction
- misfunction
verb fall apartSynonyms- crumble
- crumple
- collapse
- tumble
Related Wordsverb cause to fall or collapseRelated Wordsverb separate (substances) into constituent elements or partsSynonymsRelated Words- chemical science
- chemistry
- digest
- dissociate
- crack
- separate
verb collapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attackSynonymsRelated Words- drop like flies
- fall over
- go over
- suffer
- sustain
- have
- get
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