ENGLISH
REFERENCE

break

v. · n.
US //ˈbɹeɪk// UK //bɹˈeɪk// break
Irregular verb past broke past participle broken
  1. 1 to damage or fracture (v.)
    A1 Beginner

    to separate something into two or more pieces, often by accident.

    to cause a physical object to separate into pieces or to fracture, typically through force or impact.

    Example

    Be careful not to break that glass vase while you are cleaning the shelf.

    Example

    The impact was strong enough to break the ceramic casing, scattering shards across the laboratory floor.
  2. 2 to stop working (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to stop functioning correctly.

    to cease to function properly due to mechanical or electronic failure.

    Example

    My old washing machine finally decided to break right before the weekend.

    Example

    If the cooling system were to break during the experiment, the entire batch of chemicals would be ruined.
Show 8 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 to fail to follow a rule (v.)
    A2 Elementary Law

    to do something that is not allowed by a law or a rule.

    to violate or fail to observe a law, agreement, or regulation.

    Example

    You should never break the speed limit, even if you are in a hurry.

    Example

    The company was fined heavily after investigators discovered they had chosen to break several environmental regulations over the last decade.
  2. 4 to tell news (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to be the first person to tell someone important or surprising news.

    to disclose or make known a piece of news or information for the first time.

    Example

    I had to break the news to him that the flight was cancelled.

    Example

    The journalist worked through the night to ensure her agency would be the first to break the story of the merger.
  3. 5 to exceed a record (v.)
    B1 Intermediate Sport

    to do something better or faster than the previous best result.

    to surpass a previously established numerical record or limit.

    Example

    The young athlete managed to break the world record for the 100-metre sprint.

    Example

    Economists predict that inflation will break the five-percent barrier before the end of the fiscal quarter.
  4. 6 a rest or pause (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    a short period of time when you stop working or studying to rest.

    a temporary cessation of activity or work intended for rest or refreshment.

    Example

    Let's take a ten-minute break and get some coffee before we finish the project.

    Example

    The schedule allows for a brief lunch break between the morning keynote and the afternoon workshops.
  5. 7 a physical fracture (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Medicine

    a place where something has cracked or separated into pieces.

    a physical separation or fracture in an object or a bone.

    Example

    The X-ray showed a clean break in his arm that would take weeks to heal.

    Example

    The engineer identified a microscopic break in the fuel line that had caused the pressure to drop.
  6. 8 a lucky chance (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    a sudden piece of good luck that helps you succeed.

    a sudden stroke of luck or a favourable opportunity, especially in one's career.

    Example

    She finally got her big break when a famous director saw her perform in a small play.

    Example

    After years of struggling in the tech industry, his big break came when a venture capitalist invested in his startup.
  7. 9 music/dance (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Music

    a short part of a song where the singing stops and the drums or instruments play alone.

    a short instrumental or percussion solo within a musical composition, often used as a transition.

    Example

    The crowd started dancing wildly during the drum break in the middle of the track.

    Example

    The DJ looped the percussion break to create a rhythmic foundation for the dancers to showcase their skills.
  8. 10 to breakdance (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Slang

    to perform a style of street dance with athletic moves.

    to perform breakdancing, a style of acrobatic street dance.

    Example

    He learned how to break by watching videos of street performers in the city.

    Example

    The competition featured several crews who had travelled across the country to break for the national title.
    • breakdance
Etymology 1

From Middle English breken, from Old English brecan (“to break”), from Proto-West Germanic brekan, from Proto-Germanic brekaną (“to break”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (“to break”). Doublet of bray. Cognates Cognates of Germanic origin include Scots brek (“to break”), West Frisian brekke (“to break”), Dutch breken (“to break”), Low German breken (“to break”), German brechen (“to break”), French broyer (“to crush, grind”), Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (brikan, “to break, destroy”), Norwegian brek (“desire, yearning”). Also cognate with Albanian brishtë (“fragile”), Latin frangō (“break, break up, shatter”, verb), whence English fracture and other terms – fragile, frail, fraction, and fragment. The modern pronunciation shows an irregular change of Early Modern English /ɛː/ to /eɪ/ in the standard language; contrast this with the development of other words such as speak and wreak.

Etymology 2

Clipping of breakdown (the percussion break of songs chosen by a DJ for use in hip-hop music) and see also breakdancing.

Word family
Idioms45 entries

© 2026 English Reference