breakup
/ˈbrāk-ˌəp/ (ame, mw)
breakup — 名詞
1. the process or result of something splitting apart, especially when a close rela
解體；分手
整體散開或戀情結束
the process or result of something splitting apart, especially when a close relationship, group, or organization comes to an end.
The band's breakup shocked fans across South Korea and Japan.
這個樂團的解體震驚了南韓和日本的歌迷。
the breakup of a group or partnership
After the breakup, Putri moved out of the apartment by Friday.
分手後，Putri 在星期五前搬離了那間公寓。
The breakup of the old neighbourhood began after the new highway opened.
新高速公路開通後，這個老社區的解體就開始了。
News of the company's breakup sent factory workers into protest.
公司解體的消息讓工廠員工走上街頭抗議。
- split
informal and often used for couples or groups
- separation
broader and can be more formal or legal
- collapse
suggests a more serious failure of a system or organization
- union
coming together instead of separating
- reconciliation
used when a couple or group becomes close again
文法句型
a breakup
the breakup of + noun
用法筆記
Often refers to the end of a romantic relationship, but it can also describe a band, business, or larger whole falling apart. Distinguish from noun sense 2, which is used only for spring ice.
常見錯誤
2. the spring period when river or lake ice cracks, loosens, and starts to melt.
春融
春天河冰裂開融化的時期
the spring period when river or lake ice cracks, loosens, and starts to melt.
By April, the river breakup made the ice road unsafe.
到了四月，河流春融讓冰路變得不安全。
seasonal use: river breakup
Families watched the breakup send huge ice blocks downstream.
家家戶戶看著春融把巨大的冰塊往下游送去。
The annual breakup left the shore covered with wet, broken ice.
每年的春融過後，岸邊都覆著濕冷的碎冰。
Pilots waited for the lake breakup before bringing food north.
飛行員等到湖面春融後，才把食物運往北方。
- freeze-up
the time when water surfaces freeze over again
文法句型
the breakup
river/lake breakup
用法筆記
Used mainly in northern regions where winter ice covers rivers or lakes. It names a seasonal event, not a relationship or organization ending.
breakup — 動詞
- breakuppresent simple I / you / we / they
- breakups3rd person singular
- breakuping-ing form
- breakupedpast simple
1. to separate and move away from each other after being together, or to make a gro
散開
人群或團體分散離去
to separate and move away from each other after being together, or to make a group stop staying together.
When the music stopped, the crowd broke up and headed for the exits.
音樂一停，人群就散開，往出口走去。
intransitive: a group breaks up and goes away
At three o'clock, the class broke up for the lunch break.
三點一到，這堂課就散開去吃午餐了。
Police whistles broke up the fight outside the night market.
警哨聲把夜市外的那場打架人群散開了。
After the speech, small groups broke up and walked toward the station.
演講結束後，小群的人也散開，朝車站走去。
文法句型
[group] breaks up
break up + fight/meeting/class
用法筆記
Often used for crowds, classes, meetings, and fights that stop staying together. Distinguish from sense 6: this sense separates people or gatherings, while sense 6 interrupts the flow of an activity or pattern.
常見錯誤
2. to stop being in a romantic relationship with someone.
分手
結束戀愛關係
to stop being in a romantic relationship with someone.
Mert and Putri broke up after months of arguing about money.
Mert 和 Putri 因為金錢爭執了好幾個月後分手了。
intransitive: a couple breaks up
Nikhil broke up with his girlfriend before the move to Toronto.
Nikhil 在搬去 Toronto 前跟女友分手了。
break up with + person
By winter, the couple had broken up and sold the cafe.
到了冬天，這對情侶已經分手，還把咖啡館賣掉了。
Otis wants to break up but has not said it yet.
Otis 想分手，只是還沒有把話說出口。
- get together
to start a romantic relationship
- make up
to become friendly again after an argument
文法句型
[couple] break up
break up with + person
用法筆記
This sense is about romantic partners only. English commonly uses the two-word verb form break up, while breakup as one word is more common as the noun.
常見錯誤
3. to lose emotional control and start crying, shaking, or finding it hard to speak
崩潰
情緒突然失控
to lose emotional control and start crying, shaking, or finding it hard to speak.
After hearing the verdict, the witness broke up and could not speak.
聽到判決後，那名證人情緒崩潰，連話都說不出來。
emotional collapse after sudden news
Jabari broke up in tears when the hospital called at dawn.
醫院在天亮前打來電話時，Jabari 哭到崩潰。
break up in tears
The old coach nearly broke up during the final goodbye.
那位老教練在最後告別時差點崩潰。
Christopher broke up on stage after spotting his father in the front row.
Christopher 在舞台上看到父親坐在前排後，情緒整個崩潰。
- collapse
broader and can also describe physical weakness
- crack
suggests beginning to lose emotional strength
- fall apart
common informal phrase for losing control emotionally
- steady oneself
to regain control and calm down
- compose oneself
more formal; to become calm again
文法句型
[person] breaks up
break up in tears
用法筆記
Used when strong feelings suddenly overcome someone. Distinguish from sense 8, where laughter causes the reaction rather than grief, shock, or stress.
4. to break into smaller pieces, or to make something do this.
碎裂
裂成較小的碎塊
to break into smaller pieces, or to make something do this.
The dry cake broke up when Eli tried to lift it.
Eli 一抬起那塊乾蛋糕，蛋糕就碎裂了。
physical material breaks into pieces
The old road broke up after three days of heavy rain.
連下三天大雨後，那條舊路面開始碎裂。
Kwame broke the stale bread up and fed the ducks.
Kwame 把變硬的麵包掰碎，拿去餵鴨子。
In the mixer, the soft cheese broke up into small lumps.
在攪拌機裡，軟起司碎裂成一小團一小團。
- hold together
to stay in one piece
文法句型
[material] breaks up
break up + bread/cake/road
用法筆記
This sense is about physical pieces forming. Distinguish from sense 5, which focuses on ruining something so it cannot continue, even when no literal pieces appear.
5. to ruin something so completely that it cannot continue in its old form.
毀掉
徹底使其無法延續
to ruin something so completely that it cannot continue in its old form.
Years of debt broke up the family business in the end.
多年的債務最後把這家家族企業整個毀掉了。
break up + business or organization
The scandal broke up the reform group before the vote.
那場醜聞在投票前就把改革團體毀掉了。
Constant shelling broke up the bridge network along the coast.
連續的砲擊把沿岸的橋梁網整個毀掉了。
Rumours from abroad broke up their plan for a quick sale.
來自國外的流言把他們快速出售的計畫毀掉了。
- preserve
to keep something existing or working
- strengthen
to make a group or plan more stable
文法句型
break up + business/group/plan
be broken up by + cause
用法筆記
Often used when pressure, scandal, war, or some other force destroys a business, plan, or organized structure. Distinguish from sense 4, which is about literal pieces, and from sense 6, which may be only temporary.
6. to disturb the smooth progress of something by cutting across it or making it le
打斷
擾亂原本連續的進行
to disturb the smooth progress of something by cutting across it or making it less continuous.
A loud alarm broke up the quiet of the reading room.
刺耳的警報聲打斷了閱覽室原本的安靜。
break up + quiet or calm atmosphere
Frequent ads broke up the film just as the story grew tense.
一再插入的廣告把電影緊張的節奏打斷了。
Road work broke up traffic on the ring road all morning.
道路工程讓環狀道路的車流整個上午都被打斷。
The sudden joke broke up her train of thought during the meeting.
那個突如其來的笑話打斷了她在會議中的思路。
- maintain
to keep something steady or continuous
- smooth out
to remove interruptions or roughness
文法句型
break up + quiet/traffic/film
break up + train of thought
用法筆記
This sense is about breaking continuity rather than separating people or creating physical pieces. It often applies to sound, movement, attention, or the structure of a story.
7. to rot, wear away, or lose its structure over time.
腐爛
慢慢腐壞並失去結構
to rot, wear away, or lose its structure over time.
Left in the sun, the dead fish broke up within two days.
那條死魚放在太陽下兩天內就腐爛掉了。
material breaks up through decay
The wet cardboard broke up and stuck to the garden path.
濕掉的紙板腐爛散開，黏在花園小路上。
Years underground had broken the cloth bag up into dust.
那個布袋埋在地下多年後，早已腐爛成灰。
After months in seawater, the rope broke up into soft fibres.
那條繩子泡在海水裡幾個月後，腐爛成柔軟的纖維。
- decay
general term for gradual physical breakdown
- rot
especially used for food, wood, or other organic matter
- disintegrate
more formal; focuses on losing structure completely
- preserve
to keep material from breaking down
文法句型
[material] breaks up over time
break up into + softer material
用法筆記
This sense emphasizes slow decay from age, water, heat, or natural damage. Distinguish from sense 4, where something breaks into pieces quickly rather than gradually rotting away.
8. to make someone laugh so much that they can hardly stop.
笑翻
讓人笑到停不下來
to make someone laugh so much that they can hardly stop.
Felipe's wedding speech broke up the whole table.
Felipe 的婚宴致詞把整桌的人都笑翻了。
informal: break up + a group of listeners
One line from the play broke up even the strict math teacher.
劇裡的一句台詞，連那位嚴格的數學老師都笑翻了。
The baby's tiny sneeze broke up everyone in the photo studio.
寶寶打的那個小噴嚏，把攝影棚裡的人全都笑翻了。
Christopher's goat impression broke up the bus on the way home.
Christopher 學山羊叫的樣子，把整台巴士的人都笑翻了。
- crack up
very close informal equivalent
- amuse
weaker; does not suggest helpless laughter
- send into fits of laughter
more expressive and less casual
- bore
to fail to interest or amuse
文法句型
break up + audience/group/person
用法筆記
This informal sense is common in spoken stories about comedy or a funny moment. Distinguish from sense 3, where someone breaks up because of emotion rather than laughter.