break


Definition: Meaning of, break in English to English dictionary.

Pronunciation: / breɪk /

  • verb
  • synonym
  • antonym
Word Forms:
Prsesent Past Past Participle
break broke broken
Present Participle Third Person Singular
breaking breaks
  1. separate into pieces [transitive] if you break something, you make it separate into two or more pieces, for example by hitting it, dropping it, or bending it
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  2. separate into pieces [intransitive] if something breaks, it separates into two or more pieces
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  3. bones [transitive] to damage a bone in your body by making it crack or split
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  4. machines [transitive] to damage a machine so that it does not work properly
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  5. machines [intransitive] if a machine breaks, it stops working properly
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  6. rules/laws [transitive] to disobey a rule or law
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  7. promise/agreement [transitive] to not do something that you have promised to do or signed an agreement to do
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  8. stop/rest [intransitive] to stop for a short time in order to have a rest or eat something
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  9. end something [transitive] to stop something from continuing
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  10. defeat somebody [transitive] to make someone feel that they have been completely defeated and they cannot continue working or living
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  11. destroy an organization [transitive] to damage an organization so badly that it no longer has any power
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  12. day/dawn [intransitive] when the day or the DAWN breaks, the sky gets light
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  13. storm [intransitive] if a storm breaks, it begins
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  14. weather [intransitive] if the weather breaks, it suddenly changes and becomes cold or wet
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  15. waves [intransitive] when waves break, they fall onto the land at the edge of the water
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  16. somebody's voice [intransitive] when a boy's voice breaks, it becomes lower and starts to sound like a man's voice
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  17. somebody's voice [intransitive] if your voice breaks, it does not sound smooth because you are feeling strong emotions
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  18. news [intransitive] if news about an important event breaks, it becomes known
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  19. news [transitive] if you break unpleasant news to someone, you tell it to them
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  20. break a habit to stop doing something that you do regularly, especially something that you should not do
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  21. break a record to do something even faster or even better than the previous best time, amount etc
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  22. break a journey British English to stop somewhere for a short time during a long journey
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  23. break somebody's heart to make someone very unhappy by ending a relationship with them or doing something that upsets them a lot
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  24. break a strike to force workers to end a STRIKE
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  25. break a link/tie/connection to end a relationship with a person or organization
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  26. break the skin to cut the skin on your body
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  27. break the back of something to finish the main or worst part of something
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  28. break the bank to cost a lot of money, or more money than you have
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  29. break somebody's concentration to interrupt someone and stop them from being able to continue thinking or talking about something
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  30. break the silence to end a period of silence by talking or making a noise
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  31. break somebody's spirit to destroy someone's feeling of determination
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  32. break somebody's power to take away someone's position of power or control
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  33. break the ice informal to make people feel more friendly and willing to talk to each other
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  34. break a code to succeed in understanding something that is written in a secret way
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  35. break wind to allow gas to escape from your bottom, making a noise and an unpleasant smell
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  36. break (somebody's) serve to win a game in tennis when your opponent is starting the game by hitting the ball first
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
synonym
antonym
  • noun
  • synonym
  • antonym
Word Forms:
Singular Plural
break breaks
  1. stop working [countable] a period of time when you stop working in order to rest, eat etc
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  2. stop doing something [countable] a period of time when you stop doing something before you start again
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  3. holiday [countable] a short holiday
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  4. at school [uncountable] the time during the school day when classes stop and teachers and students can rest, eat, play etc
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  5. on tv [countable] a pause for advertisements during a television or radio programme
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  6. something stops happening [countable] a period of time when something stops happening before it starts again
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  7. end a relationship [singular] a time when you leave a person or group, or end a relationship with someone
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  8. space/hole [countable] a space or hole in something
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  9. chance [countable] informal a sudden or unexpected chance to do something that allows you to become successful in your job
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  10. bones [countable] the place where a bone in your body has broken
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  11. tennis [countable] a situation in a game of tennis in which you win a game when your opponent is starting the game by hitting the ball first
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  12. snooker [countable] the number of points that a player wins when it is their turn to hit the ball in a game such as SNOOKER
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  13. break with tradition/the past a time when people stop following old customs and do something in a completely different way
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  14. make a break for something to suddenly start running towards something in order to escape from a place
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  15. give me/it a break! spoken used when you want someone to stop doing or saying something that is annoying you
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  16. give somebody a break spoken to stop being strict with someone so that a situation becomes easier for them
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
  17. the break of day literary the time early in the morning when it starts getting light
    SYNONYM
    Not found!
    ANTONYM
    Not found!
synonym
antonym

break used in phrases

  • All-Star break
    1. in baseball, a period in the middle of the SEASON (= the period in the year when baseball is played) when All-Star games are played
  • break apart (verb)
    1. take apart into its constituent pieces
    2. break violently or noisily; smash;
  • break bread (verb)
    1. have a meal, usually with company
  • break camp (verb)
    1. leave a camp
  • break dance (noun)
    1. a form of solo dancing that involves rapid acrobatic moves in which different parts of the body touch the ground; normally performed to the rhythm of rap music
  • break dancing (noun)
    1. a form of solo dancing that involves rapid acrobatic moves in which different parts of the body touch the ground; normally performed to the rhythm of rap music
  • break even (verb)
    1. make neither profit nor loss
    2. attain a level at which there is neither gain nor loss, as in business, gambling, or a competitive sport
  • break loose (verb)
    1. be unleashed; emerge with violence or noise
    2. run away from confinement
  • break of day (noun)
    1. the first light of day
  • break of serve (noun)
    1. tennis a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving
  • More

break used in phrasal verbs

  • break away (phrasal verb)
    1. to escape from a person, place, or situation
    2. to leave a political party or other group, especially in order to start another one
  • break down (phrasal verb)
    1. [intransitive] if a machine or vehicle breaks down, it stops working
    2. [transitive] to divide something such as a total amount into separate parts
  • break for (phrasal verb)
    1. break for something to go somewhere quickly, especially in order to escape
  • break in (phrasal verb)
    1. [intransitive] to enter a building by force, especially in order to steal things
    2. [intransitive] to interrupt when someone is talking
  • break into (phrasal verb)
    1. break into something to start doing something
    2. break into something to start to have success in your career or an area of activity
  • break off (phrasal verb)
    1. [intransitive/transitive] to stop doing something, especially speaking
    2. [transitive] to end a relationship or a discussion
  • break out (phrasal verb)
    1. if something bad such as a war or disease breaks out, it starts
    2. to escape from a prison
  • break through (phrasal verb)
    1. break through something to force your way through something that is stopping you from moving forward
    2. to successfully deal with something that is stopping you making progress
  • break up (phrasal verb)
    1. [transitive] to break something to make smaller pieces
    2. [intransitive] if something breaks up, it breaks into smaller pieces
  • break with (phrasal verb)
    1. break with someone/something to leave a group of people, usually because of a disagreement
    2. break with something if someone breaks with the past or with tradition, they start doing things in a completely new way
  • More