Break down

Meaning

The idiom "break down" means to cause or make someone feel tears, to be angry or upset, or to lose control of one's emotions. It can also mean to analyze or examine something in detail, or to physically break something into smaller pieces.

Usage

• She broke down and cried when she found out her dog was missing.
• The news about the pandemic has made many people feel anxious and they have started breaking down.
• He lost his temper and started breaking down the furniture in anger.
• We need to break down this project into smaller tasks to make it more manageable.
• She broke down the equation for us so we could understand it better.

Roots and History

The idiom "break down" has been used since at least the 16th century. It originally meant to physically break something into smaller pieces, but over time its meaning has shifted to include emotional breakdowns as well. The phrase may have originated from the idea of breaking something apart or taking it apart in order to understand it better.

Synonyms in English

• Cry
• Break down and cry
• Lose control of one's emotions
• Analyze
• Examine in detail

Synonyms in other languages

• French: Éclater en larmes
• Spanish: Romperse a lloras
• German: Plänen
• Russian: Разбиваться
• Italian: Scatteriare

Similar Idioms

• blowing smoke

• better late than never

• big gun