Verb
break down
- (intransitive) To fail, to cease to function.
- I am afraid my computer will break down if I try to run it at too high a speed.
- Talks broke down between Prime Minister John Doe and the opposition party.
- Relations broke down between Greece and Turkey.
- (ergative, figuratively) To render or to become unstable due to stress, to collapse physically or mentally.
- She is back to work now, after she broke down the other day.
- (ergative, figuratively) To render or to become weak and ineffective.
- His authority and influence over his coordinates broke down gradually.
- (ergative) To (cause to) decay, to decompose.
- Leaves and grass will break down into compost faster if you keep them moist.
- (ergative, figuratively) To divide into parts to give more details, to provide a more indepth analysis of.
- If you don't understand, ask him to break down the numbers for you.
- (ergative) To digest.
- His stomach took a while to break down his food.
- French: tomber en panne
- Italian: guastarsi, rompersi
- Portuguese: cessar
- Spanish: fallar, descomponerse, averiarse, estropearse, romperse
- French: craquer
- Portuguese: despedaçar
- Spanish: transtornarse
- Portuguese: inutilizar, debilitar
- Spanish: debilitarse, deteriorarse
- French: se décomposer
- Italian: decomporsi
- Spanish: descomponerse, echarse a perder
- French: analyser, décomposer
- Italian: partizionare, suddividere
- Portuguese: decompor
- Spanish: desglosar
- Italian: decomporre, digerire, elaborare
- Portuguese: digerir
break down (plural break downs)
- Misspelling of breakdown
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