HyperDic: break_down

English > 8 senses of the expression break down:
VERBcompetitionbreak down, crushmake ineffective
cognitionbreak down, analyze, analyse, dissect, take apartmake a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis of
emotionbreak down, lose it, snaplose control of one's emotions
changebreak down, fail, go bad, give way, die, give out, conk out, go, breakstop operating or functioning
motionbreak down, crumble, crumple, tumble, collapsefall apart
contactbreak downcause to fall or collapse
changebreak down, decompose, break upseparate (substances) into constituent elements or parts
bodybreak down, collapsecollapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attack
English > break down: 8 senses > verb 1, competition
Meaningmake ineffective.
PatternSomebody ----s something; Something ----s something
Example"Martin Luther King tried to break down racial discrimination"
Synonymcrush
Broaderchange, alter, modifyCause to change
Spanishacabar con, derribar, destruir, romper
Catalanderrocar, rompre, trencar
Nounsbreakdownthe act of disrupting an established order so it fails to continue
English > break down: 8 senses > verb 2, cognition
Meaningmake a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis of; break down into components or essential features.
PatternSomebody ----s something
Synonymsanalyze, analyse, dissect, take apart
Narrowerbotanize, botaniseCollect and study plants
parseanalyze syntactically by assigning a constituent structure to (a sentence)
See alsobreakruin completely
Oppositesynthesize, synthesisecombine so as to form a more complex, product
Spanishanalizar
Catalananalitzar
Nounsbreakdownan analysis into mutually exclusive categories
English > break down: 8 senses > verb 3, emotion
MeaningLose control of one's emotions.
PatternSomebody ----s
ModelSam and Sue break down
Synonymslose it, snap
NarrowerdieBe brought to or as if to the point of death by an intense emotion such as embarrassment, amusement, or shame
dissolveLose control emotionally
fall apart, go to piecesLose one's emotional or mental composure
Broaderact, behave, doBehave in a certain manner
Nounsbreakdowna mental or physical breakdown
English > break down: 8 senses > verb 4, change
Meaningstop operating or functioning.
PatternSomething ----s
ModelThese cars won't break down
Synonymsfail, go bad, give way, die, give out, conk out, go, break
Narrowerblow out, burn out, blowmelt, break, or become otherwise unusable
crash, go downstop operating
malfunction, misfunctionfail to function or function improperly
misfirefail to fire or detonate
BroaderchangeUndergo a change
Similar tobreakRender inoperable or ineffective
die, decease, perish, go, exit, pass away, expire, pass, kick the bucket, cash in one's chips, buy the farm, conk, give-up the ghost, drop dead, pop off, choke, croak, snuff itPass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain / sustain life
Spanishaveriarse, estropearse, fallar, morir, pararse, perecer, romper
Catalanavariar-se, espatllar-se, fallar, parar-se
Nounsbreakdowna cessation of normal operation
English > break down: 8 senses > verb 5, motion
Meaningfall apart.
PatternSomething ----s
Synonymscrumble, crumple, tumble, collapse
Caused bybreak downCause to fall or collapse
Broaderchange integritychange in physical make-up
Spanishajarse, ajar, arruinar, colapsar, derribarse, derrumbarse, desmigajarse, desmoronarse, desmoronar, desplomar, romperse, venirse abajo
Catalananar-se'n en orris, desplomar, ensorrar-se, esfondrar-se
English > break down: 8 senses > verb 6, contact
MeaningCause to fall or collapse.
PatternSomebody ----s something; Something ----s something
ModelThey want to break down the doors
Cause tocrumble, crumple, tumble, break down, collapsefall apart
Broaderbreak, bustruin completely
English > break down: 8 senses > verb 7, change
Meaningseparate (substances) into constituent elements or parts.
PatternSomebody ----s somebody; Something ----s something
Synonymsdecompose, break up
Categorychemistry, chemical scienceThe science of matter
NarrowercrackReduce (petroleum) to a simpler compound by cracking
digestsoften or disintegrate by means of chemical action, heat, or moisture
dissociateTo undergo a reversible or temporary breakdown of a molecule into simpler molecules or atoms
Broaderseparatedivide into components or constituents
Spanishdescomponer
Catalandescompondre
Nounsbreakdown(biology) the process of decay caused by bacterial or fungal action
English > break down: 8 senses > verb 8, body
MeaningCollapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attack.
PatternSomebody ----s
ModelSam and Sue break down
Synonymcollapse
Narrowerdrop like fliesrapidly collapse, die, or drop out in large numbers
fall over, go overfall forward and down
Broadersuffer, sustain, have, getUndergo (as of injuries and illnesses)
Spanishderrumbarse
Nounsbreakdowna mental or physical breakdown

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