fall to pieces

verb

To break into a number of segments; to collapse.

“The covers of the old book fell to pieces when I picked it up.”

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Meanings

verbfall to pieces (third-person singular simple present falls to pieces, present participle falling to pieces, simple past and past participle fell to pieces)

present singular third person falls to pieces · participle present falling to pieces · participle past fell to pieces · past fell to pieces

  1. To break into a number of segments; to collapse.

    The covers of the old book fell to pieces when I picked it up.

  2. figurativelyTo be emotionally devastated; to break down.

    When I found out my mother had passed away that night, I fell to pieces.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
fall apart

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 崩潰 /崩溃
  • 崩潰 /崩溃 (bēngkuì)be emotionally devastated
Finnish murtua, hajota
  • murtuabe emotionally devastated
  • hajotabe emotionally devastated
French tomber en miettes, s'effondrer
  • tomber en miettescollapse
  • s'effondrerbe emotionally devastated
Italian andare in pezzi
  • andare in pezzibe emotionally devastated
Polish rozpadać się na kawałki, rozpaść się na kawałki
  • rozpadać się na kawałkicollapse
  • rozpaść się na kawałkicollapse
  • załamywać siębe emotionally devastated
  • załamać siębe emotionally devastated
Russian разва́ливаться, развали́ться
  • разва́ливаться (razválivatʹsja)be emotionally devastated
  • развали́ться (razvalítʹsja)be emotionally devastated
Cite this entry
APA

fall to pieces. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fall%20to%20pieces

MLA

“fall to pieces.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fall%20to%20pieces. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fall to pieces,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fall%20to%20pieces.

Source: fall to pieces on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.