breaking
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The act of causing something to separate into pieces, often suddenly or violently: "breaking" refers to the action or instance of damaging something so that it is no longer whole or functional. It implies a fracture, split, or destruction of integrity.
Usage
- "Breaking" is used to describe the action itself, not the resulting state. It focuses on the moment or process of fracture.
- It is commonly used with objects but can be applied abstractly (e.g., breaking a rule, breaking a habit).
- It often appears in contexts involving force, accident, or deliberate action.
Examples
- Noun:
- The breaking of the window was caused by the storm. (The act of the window being shattered.)
- He was charged with the breaking of several safety regulations. (The act of violating the rules.)
- The constant pressure led to the breaking of the dam. (The act of the dam failing.)
Advanced Usage
- "Breaking and entering": A legal term for the crime of entering a building by force, typically with intent to commit a felony.
- The suspect was arrested for breaking and entering.
- In media: The term "breaking" is used as an adjective in "breaking news" to indicate news that is currently happening or just being reported.
- We interrupt this program for breaking news.
Variants and Related Words
- Break (verb/noun): The base form. As a verb: to cause to separate into pieces. As a noun: the result of breaking (e.g., a pause, a fracture).
- Breakage (noun): The act or result of breaking; things broken.
- The breakage from the earthquake was extensive.
- Broken (adjective): The state of having been broken.
- A broken vase.
Synonyms
- Fracturing: Cracking or breaking, especially of hard materials like bone or stone.
- Shattering: Breaking violently into many pieces.
- Snapping: Breaking suddenly and completely, often with a sharp sound.
- Violation: The act of breaking a law, rule, or agreement.
Related Phrasal Verbs (from the base verb "break")
- Break down:
- To stop functioning (for machines).
- My car broke down on the highway.
- To lose emotional control.
- She broke down in tears.
- Break into:
- To enter a place by force.
- Thieves broke into the house.
- To suddenly begin doing something (e.g., a run, a song).
- He broke into a sprint.
- Break out:
- To escape from a place.
- A prisoner broke out of jail.
- To suddenly begin (e.g., war, disease).
- A fire broke out in the kitchen.
Related Idioms
- Break the ice: To do or say something to relieve tension or get conversation started.
- He told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.
- Break even: To have expenses equal to profits; to neither gain nor lose money.
- After the first year, the business finally broke even.
- Break a habit: To stop doing something you do regularly.
- It's very difficult to break a bad habit.
Noun
- the act of breaking something
- the breakage was unavoidable