What does “break” mean?
- 1
verbto make something separate into pieces or stop working
Be careful not to break the glass.
- 2
nouna short rest from work or study
Let’s take a ten-minute break.
- 3
verbto not obey a rule or keep a promise
He broke his promise to call me.
Break at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb & noun
- CEFR level
- A1 (beginner)
- Pronunciation
- /breɪk/ · BRAYK
- Forms
- broke, broken
How to use “break” correctly
“Break down” means a machine stops working: “Our car broke down on the highway.”
Common phrases with “break”
- take a break
- break the law
- break a promise
- break down
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- smash
- pause
- rest
Word family
- broken
- breakable
- breakfast
Idioms with “break”
- Break the bank: To cost more money than you can afford.
- Break even: To earn exactly as much as you spend, making no profit and no loss.
- Break the ice: To say or do something that helps people relax and start talking when they first meet.
“break” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- begin verbA1to start doing something or to start happening
- bring verbA1to take someone or something with you to a place
- build verbA1to make a building or other structure by putting parts together
- change verbA1to become different, or make someone or something different
- check verbA1to look at something to see if it is correct, safe or as it should be
- close verbA1to shut something, or to stop being open
- come verbA1to move toward the speaker or the place being talked about
- cut verbA1to divide or make an opening in something with a knife or scissors