Meaning of "break down" in the English dictionary

PRONUNCIATION OF BREAK DOWN

break down

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF BREAK DOWN

Break down is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb break down in English.

WHAT DOES BREAK DOWN MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Definition of break down in the English dictionary

The first definition of break down in the dictionary is to cease to function; become ineffective. Other definition of break down is to yield or cause to yield, esp to strong emotion or tears. Break down is also to crush or destroy.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO BREAK DOWN

PRESENT

Present

I break down

you break down

he/she/it breaks down

we break down

you break down

they break down

Present continuous

I am breaking down

you are breaking down

he/she/it is breaking down

we are breaking down

you are breaking down

they are breaking down

Present perfect

I have broken down

you have broken down

he/she/it has broken down

we have broken down

you have broken down

they have broken down

Present perfect continuous

I have been breaking down

you have been breaking down

he/she/it has been breaking down

we have been breaking down

you have been breaking down

they have been breaking down

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I broke down

you broke down

he/she/it broke down

we broke down

you broke down

they broke down

Past continuous

I was breaking down

you were breaking down

he/she/it was breaking down

we were breaking down

you were breaking down

they were breaking down

Past perfect

I had broken down

you had broken down

he/she/it had broken down

we had broken down

you had broken down

they had broken down

Past perfect continuous

I had been breaking down

you had been breaking down

he/she/it had been breaking down

we had been breaking down

you had been breaking down

they had been breaking down

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will break down

you will break down

he/she/it will break down

we will break down

you will break down

they will break down

Future continuous

I will be breaking down

you will be breaking down

he/she/it will be breaking down

we will be breaking down

you will be breaking down

they will be breaking down

Future perfect

I will have broken down

you will have broken down

he/she/it will have broken down

we will have broken down

you will have broken down

they will have broken down

Future perfect continuous

I will have been breaking down

you will have been breaking down

he/she/it will have been breaking down

we will have been breaking down

you will have been breaking down

they will have been breaking down

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would break down

you would break down

he/she/it would break down

we would break down

you would break down

they would break down

Conditional continuous

I would be breaking down

you would be breaking down

he/she/it would be breaking down

we would be breaking down

you would be breaking down

they would be breaking down

Conditional perfect

I would have break down

you would have break down

he/she/it would have break down

we would have break down

you would have break down

they would have break down

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been breaking down

you would have been breaking down

he/she/it would have been breaking down

we would have been breaking down

you would have been breaking down

they would have been breaking down

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you break down
we let´s break down
you break down

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to break down

Past participle

broken down

Present Participle

breaking down

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «BREAK DOWN»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «break down» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of break down

collapse · come a cropper · come to grief · come unstuck · conk out · crack up · die · fail · fall through · give out · go phut · go to pieces · have had it · lose it · pack up · stop

TRANSLATION OF BREAK DOWN

Find out the translation of break down to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of break down from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «break down» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 坏掉了
• Translator English - Spanish: averiarse
• English: break down
• Translator English - Hindi: विभाजन
• Translator English - Arabic: يَتَعَطَّل
• Translator English - Russian: ломать
• Translator English - Portuguese: falhar
• Translator English - Bengali: ভাঙ্গা
• Translator English - French: tomber en panne
• Translator English - Malay: rosak
• Translator English - German: kaputtgehen
• Translator English - Japanese: 故障する
• Translator English - Korean: 고장 나다
• Translator English - Javanese: Rusak
• Translator English - Vietnamese: hỏng
• Translator English - Tamil: உடைந்துவிடும்
• Translator English - Marathi: यंत्रातील बिघाड
• Translator English - Turkish: yıkmak
• Translator English - Italian: guastarsi
• Translator English - Polish: zepsuć się
• Translator English - Ukrainian: ламатися
• Translator English - Romanian: a se strica
• Translator English - Greek: παθαίνω βλάβη
• Translator English - Afrikaans: breek
• Translator English - Swedish: bryta samman
• Translator English - Norwegian: bryte sammen

10 QUOTES WITH «BREAK DOWN»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word break down.

1

Alvin Ailey

One of the processes of your life is to constantly break down that inferiority, to constantly reaffirm that I Am Somebody.

2

Russell Baker

Inanimate objects can be classified scientifically into three major categories; those that don't work, those that break down and those that get lost.

3

H. Jon Benjamin

It's physically hard for me to work. I start to break down, physically. My joints start. I get weepy eyes. I don't sleep well. I was never a hard worker, I guess. So the voiceover work ethic is really great for me - couple days a month, two hours a day.

4

Sonny Bono

With all due respect to lawyers, it's wonderful that you have this intricate knowledge. You break down words to the nth degree. And sometimes I find it rather disgusting. And it goes on and on.

5

Katherine Boo

In any country, corruption tends to increase when more respectable means of social advancement break down.

6

Eric Bristow

I'm not on Twitter or Facebook and don't even use email. I don't trust computers: one day they'll all break down, and everyone will be knackered.

7

Carlos Castaneda

The things shamans deal with are extremely practical. They break down parameters of normal historical reality. Magical passes are just one aspect of that.

8

Eleanor Clift

Often, the disparities in the ways men and women are treated are subtle; there are not these clear barriers that you have to break down.

9

Tom Colicchio

I have very good knife skills. I learned to butcher on my second job - I was 18 years old. Every other day we would break down six legs of veal.

10

Greg Daniels

I would encourage people that, if you are waiting for the end of 'The Office,' to re-tune in right away. It is the beginning of the end, where we start to break down what's going on with this documentary and see behind the scenes with who is involved.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «BREAK DOWN»

Discover the use of break down in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to break down and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Finding Alpha: The Search for Alpha When Risk and Return ...

This text is an excellent companion for portfolio managers, investment students, or anyone seeking to better understand the relationship between risk, returns, and financial reward." —Todd Houge, PhD, CFA, The University of Iowa How do we ...

Eric Falkenstein, 2009

Break Up, Don't Break Down: A Relationship Manual for ...

Shows how to move beyond anger, guilt, pain, and disappointment after a relationship fails and offers tips for creating a new life and finding new love.

D. Ivan Young, 2010

Break Down Your Money: How to Get Beyond the Noise to Profit ...

In Break Down Your Money, she delivers on that promise so eloquently-with the kind of bite-size information and entertaining flair that makes her a TV standout. This is one money book you won't want to put down.

Tracy Byrnes, 2008

Nina Simone: break down & let it all out

A definitive portrait of the great jazz singer, songwriter, and musician chronicles the extraordinary life and career of Nina Simone, from her early training as a classical pianist to the heights of her lengthy international career, in a ...

Sylvia Hampton, David Nathan, 2004

Hindu God, Christian God : How Reason Helps Break Down the ...

This volume offers an in-depth study of key themes common to the Hindu and Christian religious traditions. It redefines how we think about Hinduism, comparative study, and Christian theology.

Francis X. Clooney Professor of Comparative Theology Boston College, 2001

Helen Keller: Break Down the Walls!

Highlights the life and accomplishments of the first deaf and blind person to attend Radcliffe College, who became an advocate for disabled rights.

Margaret Fetty, 2006

Who Can You Trust (the Break Down)

"Trusting another is showing the most vulnerable part of yourself, and if you can't trust, you can't find happiness.

Keosha Gowins, Anita Pittman, 2013

Fearless Referrals: Boost Your Confidence, Break Down Doors, ...

This groundbreaking guide provides a toolbox of wording that works, powerful fear-killing techniques, and proven referral-gathering methods that will completely transform your business.

Matt Anderson, 2011

Our Monetary System. Why does it break down under the growth ...

liberty to break the Act of 1844, and issue its notes without limit. This is exactly what has occurred in 18487 and in the present year. But the results of these panics have taught us a most useful lesson, if we have calmness enough left ...

The Six Laws of Approachability: How to Break Down Barriers ...

Would you like to get people to instantly like you and be drawn to you, without them even knowing why? Now you can! Bestselling author Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro, presents her incredible Six Laws of Approachability: 1.

Laura Stack, 2012

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «BREAK DOWN»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term break down is used in the context of the following news items.

7/7 bombings: Cricket initiative helps break down racial barriers in a …

A pioneering cricket initiative is helping to break down racial barriers in a town which has been scarred by the antics of locally born Jihadists ... «The Independent, Jul 15»

Tube strike talks break down after 'final' offer

Tube strike talks break down after 'final' offer. London Underground says offer will be withdrawn if strikes go ahead as loss of revenue would ... «The Guardian, Jul 15»

Tube strike will go ahead after talks break down

A commuter passes a map of the London Underground system at Westminster tube station, minutes before industrial action began on a ... «The Wharf, Jul 15»

Eastenders 14/07 - Cindy is missing and Ian starts to break down

Tensions are high in Albert Square when Cindy is missing and Ian starts to break down telling Jane. Desperate, Ian and Martin search for Cindy ... «soFeminine.co.uk, Jul 15»

See Predator's Fatalities, Brutalities, special moves, variation …

See Predator's Fatalities, Brutalities, special moves, variation analysis and more in our character break down. None. Posted by John ... «EventHubs, Jul 15»

Stagecoach's talks with DfT over South West Trains break down

Stagecoach and the Department for Transport have not been able to agree on the new award of a South West Trains franchise; Stagecoach will ... «Proactive Investors UK, Jul 15»

Gatecrashers break down gate to storm Wireless Festival

This weekend saw the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Avicii and many more take to the stage at London's Wireless Festival - but also ... «Gigwise, Jul 15»

Jankovic rallies from set, break down to beat No. 2 Kvitova

LONDON (AP) About an hour after flopping on her back and kicking her feet overhead to celebrate a stunning comeback against defending ... «Tennis Magazine, Jul 15»

Woman with borderline personality disorder aims to break down …

A blog written by a woman with borderline personality disorder (BPD) is seeking to erase stigma from the condition and raise awareness of ... «WalesOnline, Jul 15»

Report: Talks break down between Tristan Thompson and Cavaliers

While previous reports had indicated that the two sides were progressing on talks concerning a new contract, it appears as though negotiations ... «247Sports, Jul 15»