Meanings
present singular third person breaks down · participle present breaking down · past broke down · participle past broken down · informal participle past broke down
- intransitiveusuallyvehiclecomputerTo stop functioning.
I am afraid my computer will break down if I try to run it at too high a speed.
1 more example
"We love our little diesel trains. They potter up and down. They break down. The C6 overhaul is only a temporary answer. By the time they are replaced, they will be 45 years old.
2026 February 18, Paul Clifton, “West of England Line problems laid bare”, in RAIL, number 1055, page 7 - intransitiveTo unexpectedly collapse, physically or in structure.
- transitiveTo intentionally demolish; to pull down.
- intransitiveTo fail, especially socially or for political reasons.
Relations broke down between Greece and Turkey.
2 more examples
Talks broke down between Prime Minister John Doe and the opposition party.
And it all breaks down at the role reversal Got the muse in my head, she's universal Spinning me round, she's coming over me
1996, Placebo, “Nancy Boy” - ergativefigurativelyTo render or to become unstable due to stress, to collapse physically or mentally.
Near-synonym: come undone
3 more examples
She is back to work now, after she broke down the other day.
Sophia broke down here. Even at this moment she was subconsciously comparing her rendering of the part of the forlorn bride with Miss Marie Lohr's.
1921, Ben Travers, A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLCAs to Ernest... He is quite as nervously broken down as I am but it manifests itself in different ways. His inclination is towards megalomania and mine towards melancholy.
1936 Sept. 15, F. Scott Fitzgerald, letter to Beatrice DanceSynonyms: come undone
- ergativefigurativelyTo render or to become weak and ineffective.
His authority and influence over his coordinates broke down gradually.
1 more example
Hodgson's approach may not illuminate proceedings in Poland and Ukraine but early evidence suggests they will be tough to break down.
2012 June 2, Phil McNulty, “England 1-0 Belgium”, in BBC Sport - To separate into a number of parts.
Near-synonyms: break apart, break up, take apart, tear down, tear up
2 more examples
The goods station is a transhipment centre (centre de transbordement) at which loads made up at other centres are broken down and redespatched to destinations in the area.
1950 June, N. H. Bousfield, “Angers, a French Provincial Railway Centre”, in Railway Magazine, page 371Meetings began in June and shortly after the group of twelve women decided to break-down into two sub groups in order to examine the subject more efficiently.
1973 December 29, “Lesbian Questionnaire”, in Gay Community News, volume 1, number 28, page 1Synonyms: break apart, break up, take apart, tear down, tear up
- ergativefigurativelyTo divide into parts to give more details, to provide a more indepth analysis of.
Near-synonym: analyze
2 more examples
If you don't understand, ask him to break down the numbers for you.
A great example is Blair Imani, an author, historian, and creator whose “Smarter in Seconds” series breaks down socio-political issues into very basic, helpful explanations in less than 60 seconds.
2026 March 9, Cyrus Veyssi, “In Defense of Influencers”, in TIME, archived from the original on 14 Mar 2026Synonyms: analyze
- ergativeTo digest.
Near-synonym: catabolize
2 more examples
His stomach took a while to break down his food.
His food took a while to break down in his stomach.
Synonyms: catabolize
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo render or to become unstable due to stress, to collapse physically or mentally.
verbTo separate into a number of parts.
verbTo divide into parts to give more details, to provide a more indepth analysis of.
verbTo digest.
More synonyms by meaning
verbmake a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis of; break down into components or essential features
verbstop operating or functioning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Catalan avariar-se, espatllar-se
- avariar-seto cease to function; (other than above)
- espatllar-seto cease to function; (other than above)
Chinese Mandarin 壞了 /坏了, 出故障
- 壞了 /坏了 (huài le)(machine) to stop functioning
- 出故障 (chū gùzhàng)(machine) to stop functioning
- 當機 /当机 (dàngjī)(computer) to stop functioning
- 拋錨 /抛锚 (pāomáo)(vehicle) to stop functioning
- 倒塌 (dǎotā)to collapse unexpectedly, physically or in structure
- 拆除 (chāichú)to pull down intentionally
- 垮臺 /垮台 (kuǎtái)to fail, especially socially or for political reasons
- 停擺 /停摆 (tíngbǎi)to cease to function; (other than above)
- 崩潰 /崩溃 (bēngkuì)to become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise
- 式微 (shìwēi)to become weak and ineffective
- 衰敗 /衰败 (shuāibài)to decay
- 分解 (fēnjiě)to divide into parts for analysis
Danish bryde sammen, gå itu
- bryde sammento cease to function; (other than above)
- gå ituto cease to function; (other than above)
- gå i stykkerto cease to function; (other than above)
- bryde sammento become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise
- kollapseto become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise
- gå nedto become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise
- bryde sammento become weak and ineffective
- nedbrydeto become weak and ineffective
- nedbrydeto decay
- nedbrydeto digest
Dutch stukgaan, kapot gaan
- stukgaan(machine) to stop functioning
- kapot gaan(machine) to stop functioning
- defect raken(machine) to stop functioning
- uiteenvallento collapse unexpectedly, physically or in structure
- instortento collapse unexpectedly, physically or in structure
- afbrekento pull down intentionally
- vernietigento pull down intentionally
- slopento pull down intentionally
- inslaanto pull down intentionally
- mislukkento fail, especially socially or for political reasons
- kapotgaanto cease to function; (other than above)
- stukgaanto cease to function; (other than above)
Esperanto panei
- paneito cease to function; (other than above)
Finnish hajota, rikkoutua
- hajota(machine) to stop functioning
- rikkoutua(machine) to stop functioning
- mennä rikki(machine) to stop functioning
- vikaantua(machine) to stop functioning
- lakata toimimasta(machine) to stop functioning
- lakata toimimasta(computer) to stop functioning
- vikaantua(computer) to stop functioning
- hajota(vehicle) to stop functioning
- rikkoutua(vehicle) to stop functioning
- mennä rikki(vehicle) to stop functioning
- romahtaato collapse unexpectedly, physically or in structure
- sortuato collapse unexpectedly, physically or in structure
French tomber en panne, tomber en panne
- tomber en panne(machine) to stop functioning
- tomber en panneto cease to function; (other than above)
- craquerto become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise
- se décomposerto decay
- analyserto divide into parts for analysis
- décomposerto divide into parts for analysis
German versagen, den Geist aufgeben
- versagen(machine) to stop functioning
- den Geist aufgeben(machine) to stop functioning
- abstürzen(computer) to stop functioning
- sich aufhängen(computer) to stop functioning
- hängen(computer) to stop functioning
- liegenbleiben(vehicle) to stop functioning
- eine Panne haben(vehicle) to stop functioning
- einstürzento collapse unexpectedly, physically or in structure
- zusammenbrechento collapse unexpectedly, physically or in structure
- zusammenfallento collapse unexpectedly, physically or in structure
- abreißento pull down intentionally
- niederbrechento pull down intentionally
Greek καταρρέω
- καταρρέω (katarréo)to become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise
Hungarian lerobban, bedöglik
- lerobban(machine) to stop functioning
- bedöglik(machine) to stop functioning
- lerobban(vehicle) to stop functioning
- bedöglik(vehicle) to stop functioning
- felmondja a szolgálatotto cease to function; (other than above)
- elromlikto cease to function; (other than above)
- összeesikto become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise
- szétesikto become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise
- összetörto become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise
- letörto become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise
- összeroppanto become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise
- lebomlikto decay
Irish clis, clis
- clis(machine) to stop functioning
- clis(computer) to stop functioning
- clis(vehicle) to stop functioning
Italian guastarsi, rompersi
- guastarsito cease to function; (other than above)
- rompersito cease to function; (other than above)
- decomporsito decay
- partizionareto divide into parts for analysis
- suddividereto divide into parts for analysis
- decomporreto digest
- digerireto digest
- elaborareto digest
Japanese 壊れる, 分解する
- 壊れる (kowareru)to cease to function; (other than above)
- 分解する (bunkai-suru)to divide into parts for analysis
- 砕ける (kudakeru)to divide into parts for analysis
Persian از کار افتادن
- از کار افتادنto cease to function; (other than above)
Polish psuć się, zepsuć się
- psuć się(machine) to stop functioning
- zepsuć się(machine) to stop functioning
- ulegać awarii(machine) to stop functioning
- ulec awarii(machine) to stop functioning
- zawieszać się(computer) to stop functioning
- zawiesić się(computer) to stop functioning
- padać(computer) to stop functioning
- paść(computer) to stop functioning
- psuć się(vehicle) to stop functioning
- zepsuć się(vehicle) to stop functioning
- stawać w miejscu(vehicle) to stop functioning
- stanąć w miejscu(vehicle) to stop functioning
Portuguese cessar, despedaçar
- cessarto cease to function; (other than above)
- despedaçarto become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise
- inutilizarto become weak and ineffective
- debilitarto become weak and ineffective
- decomporto divide into parts for analysis
- digerirto digest
Russian ломаться, сломаться
- ломаться (lomatʹsja)(machine) to stop functioning
- сломаться (slomatʹsja)(machine) to stop functioning
- разобрать (razobratʹ)to divide into parts for analysis
Spanish descomponerse, averiarse
- descomponerse(machine) to stop functioning
- averiarse(machine) to stop functioning
- romperse(machine) to stop functioning
- malograrse(machine) to stop functioning
- fallarto cease to function; (other than above)
- descomponerseto cease to function; (other than above)
- averiarseto cease to function; (other than above)
- estropearseto cease to function; (other than above)
- romperseto cease to function; (other than above)
- lagarearseto cease to function; (other than above)
- trastornarseto become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise
- echarse a perderto decay
Swedish gå sönder
- gå sönderto cease to function; (other than above)
Turkish bozulmak, çökmek
- bozulmakto cease to function; (other than above)
- çökmekto become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise
- zayıflamakto become weak and ineffective
- çürümekto decay
- sindirmekto digest
Ukrainian злама́тися, злама́тися
- злама́тися (zlamátysja)(machine) to stop functioning
- злама́тися (zlamátysja)(computer) to stop functioning
- впа́сти (vpásty)(computer) to stop functioning
- зави́снути (zavýsnuty)(computer) to stop functioning
- злама́тися (zlamátysja)to collapse unexpectedly, physically or in structure
- розвали́тися (rozvalýtysja)to collapse unexpectedly, physically or in structure
- руйнува́тися (rujnuvátysja)to collapse unexpectedly, physically or in structure
- провали́тися (provalýtysja)to fail, especially socially or for political reasons
- збанкрутува́ти (zbankrutuváty)to fail, especially socially or for political reasons
Vietnamese hỏng, hỏng hóc
- hỏng(machine) to stop functioning
- hỏng hóc(machine) to stop functioning
Cite this entry
break down. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20down
“break down.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20down. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “break down,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20down.
Source: break down on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.