Meaning of break down in English
Table of contents
Pronunciation
US accent
UK accent
Verb
break downDefinitions
1. make a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis ofExamples
- « break down into components or essential features »
- « analyze a specimen »
- « analyze a sentence »
- « analyze a chemical compound »
Antonyms
Derived terms
- 2. make ineffective
Examples
- « Martin Luther King tried to break down racial discrimination »
Derived terms
- 3. lose control of one's emotions
Examples
- « When she heard that she had not passed the exam, she lost it completely »
- « When her baby died, she snapped »
Derived terms
- 4. stop operating or functioning
Examples
- « 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 »
Derived terms
- 5. separate (substances) into constituent elements or parts
Derived terms
- 6. fall apart
Examples
- « the building crimbled after the explosion »
- « Negociations broke down »
- 7. cause to fall or collapse
- 8. collapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attack
Derived terms
Famous quotes
- « People break down after a couple of hours. All the defenses go down, and there's a kind of communication that if I spent 20 years in a living room with one of these people, I would never, never know as much about them as I do in that one day. » Lee Grant
- « If you do not accuse each other, God will not accuse you. If you have no accuser you will enter heaven. What many people call sin is not sin I do many things to break down superstition, and I will break it down. » Joseph Smith, Jr.
- « I think what I do differently from a lot of TV chefs is that I break down barriers and make fine food more accessible to the regular person, who might be intimidated. I try hard, particularly with wine, to make it not intimidating. It's sort of a teaching job. » Ted Allen
- « My father instilled in me the attitude of prevailing. If there's a challenge, go for it. If there's a wall to break down, break it down. » Donny Osmond
- « In our society, the women who break down barriers are those who ignore limits. » Arnold Schwarzenegger