break

/breɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /breɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbrāk/ (ame, mw)

break — 動詞

1. to damage something so that it splits apart or stops working, or for this to hap

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

打破；弄壞

使碎裂，或因損壞而失靈

to damage something so that it splits apart or stops working, or for this to happen.

例句

Theo dropped the glass bowl, and it broke on the kitchen floor.

Theo 把玻璃碗掉到廚房地板上，結果摔破了。

intransitive: object breaks into pieces

Priya broke her wrist when she slipped on the wet steps.

Priya 在濕滑的階梯上滑倒時摔斷了手腕。

break + body part

同義詞
  • damage

    broader and does not always mean splitting into pieces

  • smash

    suggests a harder impact and more complete destruction

  • crack

    often means only a line or partial split appears

反義詞
  • repair

    to make something work again or put it back together

  • mend

    often used for fixing a damaged object

文法句型

[thing] breaks

break + object

break + body part

用法筆記

Common with objects, machines, and body parts. Distinguish from sense 5: this sense involves damage or failure, while sense 5 separates something into parts or groups without necessarily harming it.

常見錯誤

❌The printer was broken by itself this morning.
✅The printer broke this morning.
💡When the thing stops working on its own, use the intransitive form.

2. to make an activity, relationship, agreement, or organization end and not contin

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

終止；瓦解

使某事徹底結束或自行告終

to make an activity, relationship, agreement, or organization end and not continue, or for it to end that way.

例句

The court ruling broke their business agreement in one afternoon.

那項法院裁決在一個下午內就終止了他們的商業協議。

break + agreement

By dawn, the fishing alliance between the two ports had broken.

到天亮時，兩座港口之間的漁業聯盟已經瓦解了。

intransitive ending of a relationship

同義詞
  • end

    the plainest general equivalent

  • destroy

    stronger, often stressing ruin rather than simple stopping

  • terminate

    more formal, especially for agreements or official arrangements

反義詞
  • continue

    to keep going instead of stopping

  • preserve

    to keep a relationship or system in existence

文法句型

break + agreement/relationship/career

[relationship/strike/alliance] breaks

用法筆記

Often used for things that stop for good, such as agreements, ties, careers, and organized action. Distinguish from sense 6: after sense 6, the activity normally continues later.

常見錯誤

❌The strike paused on Tuesday.
✅The strike broke on Tuesday.
💡In this sense, 'break' means the strike ended, not that it stopped only for a short time.

3. to achieve a better result than the highest one reached before.

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

打破紀錄

超過原先最佳成績或數字

to achieve a better result than the highest one reached before.

例句

Noa broke the school record for the 800 meters.

Noa 打破了學校八百公尺項目的紀錄。

break + sports record

By midnight, the concert had broken every online sales record.

到午夜時，那場演唱會已打破所有線上銷售紀錄。

break + sales record

同義詞
  • beat

    common and slightly more informal

  • surpass

    more formal and broader than record-setting

  • top

    informal, often used in headlines or speech

反義詞
  • miss

    to fail to reach the previous best result

  • fall short of

    to stay below the record or target

文法句型

break + record

break + sales/attendance record

用法筆記

Usually takes a measurable result as its object, such as a time, score, number, or total. Common in sports, business, and news reports.

常見錯誤

❌Noa won the school record.
✅Noa broke the school record.
💡English uses 'break a record' when someone does better than the old best result.

4. to go against a law, rule, promise, or agreement by not obeying it.

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

違反；違背

沒有遵守法律、規則或承諾

to go against a law, rule, promise, or agreement by not obeying it.

例句

The driver broke the speed limit near the village school.

那名駕駛在村裡學校附近違反了速限。

break + law/rule

By selling fake concert tickets, the site broke several consumer laws.

那個網站靠賣假演唱會門票，違反了好幾項消費者法規。

break + laws

同義詞
  • violate

    more formal, especially for laws or rules

  • disobey

    common for rules, orders, or instructions

  • go against

    broader and can sound less formal

反義詞
  • obey

    to do what a rule or order says

  • keep

    common with promises or agreements

文法句型

break + law/rule/promise

break + agreement

用法筆記

The object is usually a law, rule, promise, or formal agreement. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about failing to obey the thing, not making it end completely.

常見錯誤

❌Hana didn't obey her promise.
✅Hana broke her promise.
💡English normally says 'break a promise' for failing to do what you said.

5. to separate something into smaller parts, groups, or kinds, or to separate in th

5.動詞及物 / 不及物
釋義

分成；拆分

分成幾部分、幾組或幾類

to separate something into smaller parts, groups, or kinds, or to separate in this way.

例句

The teacher broke the class into four small discussion groups.

老師把全班分成四個小型討論組。

break + object + into + groups

A low stone wall breaks the garden into two quiet spaces.

一道低矮的石牆把花園分成兩個安靜的區域。

physical division into sections

同義詞
  • divide

    the closest neutral equivalent

  • split

    often suggests making clear separate sections

  • separate

    broader and can be less structured

反義詞
  • unite

    to bring parts or groups together

  • combine

    to join different parts into one whole

文法句型

break + object + into + groups/parts

[thing] breaks into + parts

用法筆記

Common with 'into' before the new parts or groups. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 5 organizes or separates, while sense 1 usually involves damage.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher broke the class with four groups.
✅The teacher broke the class into four groups.
💡This sense normally needs 'into' before the new parts or groups.

6. to stop an activity for a short time before it continues, or to make this happen

6.動詞及物B1
釋義

中斷；暫停

讓活動短暫停下後再繼續

to stop an activity for a short time before it continues, or to make this happen.

例句

The teacher broke the lesson for a ten-minute snack.

老師把課程暫停了一下，讓大家吃十分鐘點心。

break + activity for + noun

A phone call broke Yusuf's work for only two minutes.

一通電話讓 Yusuf 的工作中斷了短短兩分鐘。

temporary interruption of work

同義詞
  • pause

    the nearest everyday equivalent

  • interrupt

    often focuses on the break in continuity

  • suspend

    more formal, especially for meetings or official activity

反義詞
  • continue

    to keep going without a pause

  • resume

    to start again after the pause

文法句型

break + activity

break + journey/walk/lesson for + noun

用法筆記

Often followed by 'for' plus food, rest, or another short purpose. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense describes a pause, and the activity is expected to continue afterward.

常見錯誤

❌We broke the meeting forever after lunch.
✅We broke the meeting for lunch and continued later.
💡This sense is for a short pause, not a complete ending.

7. to enter, escape, or make a way forward by pushing, hitting, or fighting hard.

7.動詞及物 / 不及物C2
釋義

強闖；掙脫

用蠻力闖入、衝出或打通

to enter, escape, or make a way forward by pushing, hitting, or fighting hard.

例句

Three men broke into the shop through a back window at midnight.

三名男子在半夜從後窗強闖那家店。

break into + place for forced entry

Police broke the door open and led the children outside.

警方破門而入，並把孩子們帶到外面。

break + object + open

同義詞
  • force

    broader; can also mean making someone do something

  • burst in

    usually means entering suddenly and noisily

  • break through

    focuses on getting past a barrier or line

文法句型

break into + place

break through + barrier

break free from + place

break + object + open

用法筆記

Usually followed by a particle or preposition such as into, through, past, or free from. Distinguish from sense 1 (DAMAGE): sense 7 is about forced movement or entry, not about something splitting into pieces.

常見錯誤

❌The thieves broke the house at night.
✅The thieves broke into the house at night.
💡use 'into' when the meaning is forced entry.
❌The prisoners broke from jail.
✅The prisoners broke out of jail.
💡this escape pattern normally needs 'out of'.

8. to lose the strength to stay calm, brave, or in control, or to cause this in som

8.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

崩潰；擊垮

失去自制或使人喪志

to lose the strength to stay calm, brave, or in control, or to cause this in someone.

例句

Nadia broke after hearing that her brother was still missing.

Nadia 聽到弟弟仍然下落不明後就崩潰了。

break after + upsetting news

Weeks of night duty slowly broke the young doctor's confidence.

連續幾週值夜班慢慢擊垮了那位年輕醫師的信心。

transitive: break + person's confidence

同義詞
  • collapse

    stronger; suggests losing control completely

  • crack

    informal; often suggests pressure finally having an effect

  • demoralise

    transitive only; focuses on taking away confidence

反義詞
  • cope

    emphasises continuing to manage a hard situation

  • hold together

    focuses on keeping control of emotions

文法句型

break under + pressure

break after + news/event

break + person

用法筆記

Often used without an object for losing control under pressure, and with a human object for destroying morale or resolve. Distinguish from sense 15 (VOICE): here the whole person loses control or courage; in sense 15 only the voice changes.

常見錯誤

❌She broke herself after the bad news.
✅She broke after the bad news.
💡the intransitive form does not take a reflexive object.
❌The training broke down his confidence.
✅The training broke his confidence.
💡this sense takes a direct object without 'down'.

9. if news breaks, people begin to hear it; if someone breaks it, they tell or publ

9.動詞及物 / 不及物C2
釋義

傳開；披露

消息傳出或被公開說出

if news breaks, people begin to hear it; if someone breaks it, they tell or publish it first.

例句

News of the factory fire broke before the mayor reached the site.

市長趕到現場前，工廠失火的消息就傳開了。

news + break = become public

The paper broke the story after two months of quiet research.

那家報社安靜查了兩個月後，披露了這則內幕。

break + story for first publication

同義詞
  • spread

    focuses on news moving from person to person, not on the first telling

  • leak

    suggests secret information getting out unofficially

  • reveal

    neutral and broader; not limited to first publication

反義詞
  • hide

    keep information from becoming known

  • suppress

    deliberately stop information from reaching the public

文法句型

news/story breaks

break the news to + person

break a story

用法筆記

The intransitive subject is usually news, a story, a scandal, or word of an event. In the transitive pattern, the subject is often a journalist, paper, station, or person giving important news first.

常見錯誤

❌The scandal was broken yesterday.
✅The scandal broke yesterday.
💡when news becomes known, 'break' is usually intransitive.
❌She broke to me the news.
✅She broke the news to me.
💡put the news before 'to + person'.

10. if waves break, they roll forward, curl, and crash into land or another surface

10.動詞不及物C1
釋義

拍岸

海浪捲落並打上岸邊

if waves break, they roll forward, curl, and crash into land or another surface as white foam.

例句

White waves broke against the black rocks below the old fort.

白浪拍岸，撞上舊堡下方的黑色岩石。

break against + rocks/wall

At sunrise, small waves broke gently along the empty beach.

日出時，小浪輕輕拍打著空無一人的海灘。

waves break along + beach

同義詞
  • crash

    stresses the force of the impact

  • roll in

    focuses on movement toward land, not the falling crest

  • pound

    suggests repeated heavy striking

反義詞
  • recede

    describes water moving back from the shore

文法句型

waves break against + surface

waves break along + shore

sea breaks over + wall

用法筆記

The subject is usually wave, sea, surf, or foam, and the place comes after against, on, over, or along. Distinguish from sense 1 (DAMAGE): here the wave curls and falls, even if nothing is harmed.

常見錯誤

❌The waves broke the beach all night.
✅The waves broke on the beach all night.
💡this sense is intransitive, so use a preposition for the place.

11. if the weather breaks, fine conditions suddenly turn into rain, wind, or colder

11.動詞不及物C2
釋義

變天

天氣突然轉差

if the weather breaks, fine conditions suddenly turn into rain, wind, or colder air.

例句

By mid-afternoon, the weather broke and cold rain swept in.

到下午中段時就變天了，冷雨一陣陣掃進來。

weather + break = turn bad

After two warm days, the weather broke before the picnic started.

暖和了兩天後，野餐開始前天氣就變天了。

同義詞
  • turn

    common and less literary for a change in weather

  • change

    neutral and broad; it does not always imply worse conditions

  • deteriorate

    more formal; clearly means becoming worse

反義詞
  • clear up

    describes bad weather becoming fine

文法句型

the weather breaks

break into + rain/wind

用法筆記

Usually used after a spell of fine weather and often followed by details of rain, wind, or colder air. Distinguish from sense 12 (STORM): sense 11 is about the general weather turning bad, not the sudden start of one storm.

常見錯誤

❌The weather was broken yesterday.
✅The weather broke yesterday afternoon.
💡this sense is normally used in the active intransitive form.

12. when a storm comes on, it appears very quickly and begins hitting an area.

12.動詞不及物C2
釋義

驟起

暴風雨忽然開始

when a storm comes on, it appears very quickly and begins hitting an area.

例句

A violent storm broke over the island just after sunset.

日落後不久，一場猛烈暴風雨就在島上驟起。

storm breaks over + place

A thunderstorm broke across the hills while campers ran for shelter.

山丘一帶暴風雨驟起時，露營的人都跑去找遮蔽處。

同義詞
  • begin

    plain and neutral, without the sudden dramatic force

  • erupt

    stronger and more dramatic; often used for conflict or anger too

  • burst

    suggests a sudden, forceful start

文法句型

storm breaks over + place

storm breaks at + time

用法筆記

Most often followed by over + place, naming the area the storm starts hitting. Distinguish from sense 11 (WEATHER): sense 12 names one storm beginning, while sense 11 describes the weather turning bad more generally.

常見錯誤

❌The storm broke the island at sunset.
✅The storm broke over the island at sunset.
💡use 'over' to name the place the storm starts hitting.

13. for the morning to begin as the sky starts to grow light.

13.動詞不及物
釋義

天亮

清晨開始出現亮光

for the morning to begin as the sky starts to grow light.

例句

Dawn broke over Hualien as fishing boats left the harbor.

Hualien 天亮時，漁船正駛離港口。

dawn breaks

Day broke over the lake, showing the campers their soaked tents.

湖面天亮後，露營的人看見了自己濕透的帳篷。

同義詞
  • begin

    the broadest choice, but less vivid than 'break' for morning light

  • come

    common in phrases like 'morning came', with less focus on light

  • dawn

    more literary when used as a verb

反義詞
  • fall

    used for night arriving instead of daylight beginning

文法句型

dawn breaks

day breaks

morning breaks

用法筆記

Subject is normally a time word such as 'dawn' or 'day'. Distinguish from verb/12, where the thing that starts is a storm, not the coming of morning light.

常見錯誤

❌The dawn broke the sky at five.
✅Dawn broke at five.
💡In this sense, 'break' is intransitive, and the time of morning is the subject.

14. for a boy's voice to change into a lower adult sound during puberty.

14.動詞不及物
釋義

變聲

男孩青春期嗓音變低

for a boy's voice to change into a lower adult sound during puberty.

例句

During rehearsal, Jun's voice broke on the high note.

彩排時，Jun 唱到高音時變聲了。

voice breaks during puberty

At thirteen, Ravi's voice broke and his laugh sounded much deeper.

Ravi 十三歲時開始變聲，連笑聲都低沉許多。

同義詞
  • deepen

    focuses on the lower sound, not the sudden unstable stage

  • change

    general and less specific than 'break'

  • crack

    often describes the unstable sound heard during the change

文法句型

voice breaks

boy's voice breaks

用法筆記

Used for the natural voice change of adolescent boys. Distinguish from verb/15, where the voice changes because the speaker is upset.

常見錯誤

❌My brother's voice broke because he was sad.
✅My brother's voice broke when he was thirteen.
💡This sense is about puberty, not emotion.

15. for someone's voice to lose its usual sound suddenly because they are strongly a

15.動詞不及物
釋義

哽咽；發顫

因強烈情緒而變調

for someone's voice to lose its usual sound suddenly because they are strongly affected.

例句

Leila's voice broke as she read her father's last letter aloud.

Leila 大聲讀父親最後一封信時，聲音哽咽了。

voice breaks as someone speaks

At the station, Omar's voice broke when he said goodbye.

在車站道別時，Omar 的聲音發顫了。

同義詞
  • quaver

    suggests a shaking sound, often from emotion or weakness

  • tremble

    broader and can describe the whole voice or body

  • crack

    focuses on the sudden change in sound

反義詞
  • steady

    describes a voice staying calm and even

文法句型

voice breaks with emotion

voice breaks as [someone] speaks

用法筆記

Usually happens when a speaker is close to tears, shocked, or overwhelmed. Distinguish from verb/14, which refers to a lasting change in a boy's voice during puberty.

常見錯誤

❌Ravi's voice broke when he was fourteen, so he started crying.
✅Ravi's voice broke when he heard the bad news.
💡This sense is triggered by emotion, not by age.

16. in tennis, to take the opponent's service game.

16.動詞及物 / 不及物
釋義

破發

贏下對手發球局

in tennis, to take the opponent's service game.

例句

After a long rally, Hana broke serve with a sharp backhand winner.

長回合後，Hana 靠一記漂亮的反拍致勝球破發。

break serve

Imani broke Sofia in the final game of the set.

Imani 在這盤最後一局破了 Sofia 的發球局。

break + player

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

break serve

break [player]

break in the final game

用法筆記

Often appears with 'serve' or with the opponent as the object. The point is not winning the whole match, but taking a service game from the other player.

常見錯誤

❌Diego broke the match in the second set.
✅Diego broke serve in the second set.
💡In tennis, 'break' refers to winning the opponent's service game.

17. in team sports, to win the ball and rush forward before the other side is ready.

17.動詞不及物
釋義

快攻

斷球後立刻攻向前場

in team sports, to win the ball and rush forward before the other side is ready.

例句

Brazil broke from midfield after the keeper caught the cross.

守門員接住傳中球後，Brazil 立刻從中場發動快攻。

break from midfield

Once the pass was cut out, our side broke at speed.

一攔下傳球後，我們立刻打出快攻。

break at speed

同義詞
  • counterattack

    the clearest near-equivalent in general sports English

  • break away

    often stresses getting free from defenders

  • surge forward

    describes the movement, with less sports-specific meaning

反義詞
  • retreat

    to move back instead of attacking fast

文法句型

break from midfield

break at speed

break quickly

用法筆記

The subject is usually a team or attack line, not the ball itself. Common nearby words include 'quickly', 'at speed', and phrases showing where the move starts.

常見錯誤

❌Our team broke the ball after the save.
✅Our team broke after the save.
💡This sports sense is intransitive, with the team moving forward quickly.

18. to play the first shot with the cue ball at the start of pool, snooker, or a sim

18.動詞不及物
釋義

開球

比賽開始時先擊白球

to play the first shot with the cue ball at the start of pool, snooker, or a similar table game.

例句

Bao won the toss, so he broke first.

Bao 贏了決定先後的擲幣，所以由他先開球。

break first

In the second game, Kim broke and sank two red balls.

第二局一開始，Kim 開球後就打進了兩顆紅球。

同義詞

文法句型

break first

break again

break from the right side

用法筆記

Usually intransitive in cue sports, often with words like 'first' or with a phrase showing position. Distinguish from verb/16, where the sport is tennis and the meaning is winning against a serve.

常見錯誤

❌Yusuf broke the white ball first.
✅Yusuf broke first.
💡In this cue-sports sense, 'break' is usually used without a direct object.

19. If a moving ball breaks, it suddenly curves away from the line it seemed to be f

19.動詞不及物
釋義

偏轉

球路突然改變方向

If a moving ball breaks, it suddenly curves away from the line it seemed to be following.

例句

Ravi's serve broke wide and pulled the other player off court.

Ravi 的發球突然偏轉，把另一名球員拉到場外。

serve breaks wide

Near the pocket, the red ball broke left and missed.

快到袋口時，那顆紅球往左偏轉，沒有進洞。

ball breaks left/right

同義詞
  • swerve

    suggests a sudden turn, often sharper than 'break'

  • curve

    is broader and can describe smoother movement

  • veer

    often describes movement away from a course, not only in sports

反義詞
  • go straight

    describes the ball keeping its expected line

文法句型

ball breaks left/right

serve breaks wide

pitch breaks down

用法筆記

Mostly used in ball sports and usually followed by a direction word such as 'left', 'right', 'wide', or 'down'. Distinguish from verb/18, where the player hits the opening shot rather than the ball changing course.

常見錯誤

❌The ball broke to the line.
✅The ball broke left near the pocket.
💡This sense describes a change of direction, usually with a word like 'left', 'right', or 'wide'.

20. to make a horse used to people until it can carry riders or pull a cart safely.

20.動詞及物
釋義

馴馬

把馬訓練得能騎乘或拉車

to make a horse used to people until it can carry riders or pull a cart safely.

例句

The ranch hired Yusuf to break two young horses this spring.

那座牧場春天請 Yusuf 來馴馬，要訓兩匹年輕的馬。

break + horse

Before the parade, the trainer broke the mare to pull a cart.

遊行前，訓馬師把那匹母馬訓到能拉車。

prepare a horse for work

同義詞
  • train

    is broader and can describe many kinds of teaching, not only early horse handling

  • tame

    focuses on making an animal less wild, not specifically ready for riding

  • gentle

    is used especially in horse language for making an animal calmer with people

文法句型

break a horse

break a horse to ride

horse is broken

用法筆記

Usually takes the animal as the object, and the subject is the trainer or owner. In passive use, 'the horse was broken' describes the result of that early training.

常見錯誤

❌The horse broke after six weeks of training.
✅They broke the horse after six weeks of training.
💡In this sense, the animal is usually the object, not the thing doing the action.

break — 名詞