Meanings
verbbreak the fourth wall (third-person singular simple present breaks the fourth wall, present participle breaking the fourth wall, simple past broke the fourth wall, past participle broken the fourth wall)
present singular third person breaks the fourth wall · participle present breaking the fourth wall · past broke the fourth wall · participle past broken the fourth wall
- idiomaticfictionTo apparently communicate with reality directly, such as when characters of literature comment on the existence of a reader.
Origin
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 打破第四面牆 /打破第四面墙
- 打破第四面牆 /打破第四面墙 (dǎpò dìsìmiànqiáng)direct communication with the viewer or reader
Esperanto rompi la kvaran muron
- rompi la kvaran murondirect communication with the viewer or reader
French briser le quatrième mur
- briser le quatrième murdirect communication with the viewer or reader
Italian rompere la quarta parete
- rompere la quarta paretedirect communication with the viewer or reader
Portuguese derrubar a quarta parede
- derrubar a quarta parededirect communication with the viewer or reader
Spanish romper la cuarta pared
- romper la cuarta pareddirect communication with the viewer or reader
Cite this entry
APA
break the fourth wall. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20the%20fourth%20wall
MLA
“break the fourth wall.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20the%20fourth%20wall. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “break the fourth wall,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20the%20fourth%20wall.
Source: break the fourth wall on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.