Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 4
intransitive: to separate into (to end up in) two or more pieces:
transitive: to separate into (to cause to end up in) two or more pieces:
transitive: to do that which is forbidden by (something):
to interrupt or cease one's work or occupation temporarily:
Русский
By meaning 12
of a spell of weather: to end:
intransitive: to separate into (to end up in) two or more pieces:
transitive: to separate into (to cause to end up in) two or more pieces:
billiards: to make the first shot:
to divide (money) into smaller units:
to cause a person to lose spirit or will:
to end a connection:
to ruin financially:
to disclose or make known an item of news:
transitive: to do that which is forbidden by (something):
transitive: to cause to stop functioning:
to cause a habit to no longer exist:
Deutsch
By meaning 12
of a spell of weather: to end:
to demulsify:
intransitive: to separate into (to end up in) two or more pieces:
billiards: to make the first shot:
to divide (money) into smaller units:
to turn an animal into a beast of burden:
to reduce the military rank of:
to win a game as receiver in tennis:
to end a connection:
to ruin financially:
of morning: to arrive:
to counter-attack:

Examples

3624 sentences

  1. I hope war doesn't break out.

    Сподіваюся, війна не вибухне. — deniko

    deIch hoffe, dass es keinen Krieg geben wird. — sigfrido

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. Have you ever broken a bone?

    У тебе колись був перелом? — deniko

    ruУ тебя был когда-нибудь перелом кости? — Lenin_1917

    deHast du dir schon einmal einen Knochen gebrochen? — Pfirsichbaeumchen

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. Tom and Mary might break up.

    Том та Мері можуть розійтися. — deniko

    ruТом и Мэри могут разойтись. — Netka

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Meaning

70 senses

  1. (ergative, intransitive, transitive)To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.

    If the vase falls to the floor, it might break.

    In order to tend to the accident victim, he will break the window of the car.

    zerbrechen, kaputtgehen, brechen

    лома́тьсяlomátʹsja, слома́тьсяslomátʹsja, разбива́тьсяrazbivátʹsja

    ламатиlamaty, зламатиzlamaty, розбива́тиrozbyváty

    become separated into pieces or fragments

  2. To change a steady state abruptly.

    (transitive)To cause, or allow the occurrence of, a line break.

    zero-width non-breaking space

    brechen, verletzen

    наруша́тьnarušátʹ, нару́шитьnarúšitʹ

    пору́шуватиporúšuvaty

  3. To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.

    (ergative, figuratively, intransitive, transitive)To divide (something, often money) into smaller units.

    Can you break a hundred-dollar bill for me?

    The wholesaler broke the container loads into palettes and boxes for local retailers.

    kleinmachen

    разменятьrazmenjatʹ

    exchange for smaller units of money

More meanings 67

  1. To stop, or to cause to stop, functioning properly or altogether.

    (intransitive, transitive)To cause (a barrier) to no longer bar; to rupture; to render a barrier ineffective.

    to break a seal

    to break the skin

    aufhören, knacken, aufbrechen

    броса́тьbrosátʹ, бро́ситьbrósitʹ

    render inoperable or ineffective

  2. To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or terminate.

    (transitive)To end (a connection); to disconnect.

    The referee ordered the boxers to break the clinch.

    The referee broke the boxers' clinch.

    abbrechen, unterbrechen

    разрыватьrazryvatʹ, разорватьrazorvatʹ

  3. (intransitive, transitive)To stop, or to cause to stop, functioning properly or altogether.

    On the hottest day of the year the refrigerator broke.

    Did you two break the trolley by racing with it?

    kaputtgehen, kaputtmachen

    лома́тьсяlomátʹsja, слома́тьсяslomátʹsja, лома́тьlomátʹ

    stop operating or functioning

  4. To suddenly become.

    (copulative, informal, intransitive)To interrupt or cease one's work or occupation temporarily; to go on break.

    Let's break for lunch.

    pausieren

    де́лать переры́вdélatʹ pererýv

    робит́и пере́рвуrobyt́y perérvu, пере́рваperérva

    cease an action temporarily

  5. To cause (a person or animal) to lose spirit or will; to crush the spirits of.

    (transitive)To turn an animal into a beast of burden.

    You have to break an elephant before you can use it as an animal of burden.

    zähmen, zureiten

  6. To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or terminate.

    (transitive)To ruin financially; to harm.

    The recession broke some small businesses.

    His actions could break my career.

    zugrunde richten

    разоря́тьrazorjátʹ, разори́тьrazorítʹ

  7. To change a steady state abruptly.

    (ergative, transitive)To disclose or make known an item of news, a band, etc.

    The newsman wanted to break a big story, something that would make him famous.

    I don’t know how to break this to you, but your cat is not coming back.

    publizieren, herauskommen, herausbringen

    раскрытьraskrytʹ

    be released or become known; of news

  8. (transitive)To cause (a person or animal) to lose spirit or will; to crush the spirits of.

    Her child’s death broke Angela.

    Interrogators have used many forms of torture to break prisoners of war.

    zerbrechen

    ломатьlomatʹ, доводитьdovoditʹ

  9. To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of.

    (transitive)To demote; to reduce the military rank of.

    degradieren

    assign to a lower position; reduce in rank

Origin

From Middle English breken, from Old English brecan (“to break”), from Proto-West Germanic

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.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

breaks, breaking, broke, broken

irregular · Lesson

Base formbreak · to break
3rd person singularbreaks
Present participlebreaking
Past simplebroke / breaked
Past participlebroken / breaked

Tenses

break · broke · will break · have broken

Point at a form to see it in a sentence.Tap a form to see it in a sentence.

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theybreak
he, she, itbreaks

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave broken
he, she, ithas broken

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill break

Past simpleLesson

all personsbroke

Phrasal verbs

12 phrasal verbs
More 4

Synonyms

20 synonyms
To cause, or allow the occurrence of, a line break:contravene
To turn an animal into a beast of burden:break in
(informal)To alter in type due to emotion or strain:crackB2
ergative: separate into two or more pieces:burstB1
intransitive: stop functioning:break down
Close in meaning

Antonyms

9 antonyms
assembleB2fixB1joinA1mendB1put togetherrepairA2holdA2
keepmake

Word family

86 related words
Relatedbreakerbreakablebreakage
DerivedbreakdownB2breakfastA1breakthroughB1outbreakB2bebreakbreakabilitybreakawaybreakbackbreak backbreakbeatbreakbonebreak-bonesbreak bulkbreak campbreak characterbreak coverbreakdancebreak edgebreakeebreaker barbreak-evenbreakfacebreak freebreak from

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

Collocations

9 patterns
  • break up with
  • broken the window
  • a broken leg
  • leg was broken
  • broken any rules
  • broken leg
  • tried to break
  • was broken into
  • breaking the law

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
breadfruitbreadstickbreadthbreadwinnerC2breakableB2breakagebreakdownB2

Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.

break — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto