English · Common Verbs
break down
/breɪk daʊn/
[/breɪk daʊn/]
stop working; collapse
Intermediateverb
Definition
To stop functioning, as a machine or vehicle; also to lose emotional control or analyse into parts.
Example
Our car broke down on the motorway, so we waited two hours for the recovery truck to arrive.
Our car broke down on the motorway, so we waited two hours for the recovery truck to arrive.
Etymology
From 'break' (Old English brecan) plus the directional adverb 'down', recorded in the mechanical sense from the 19th century.
How & Where It’s Used
Used in everyday and technical speech for machines, negotiations, and emotional states; informal to neutral.