break
- noun
- /breɪk/
- As he reached the climax of the song, you could hear the break in his voice caused by sheer passion.
Examples
-
Lainey heard her own voice break below theirs.
Fiction book (1990) -
"I'm fine," I told her, and heard the break in my voice.
Fiction book (1990) -
Sometimes your help... [voice breaks] makes me feel bad about myself.
-
When he sang the high note, there was a noticeable break in his voice that surprised everyone.
-
During the speech, her voice had an emotional break that made the audience attentive.
Synonyms
A small break or hesitation in a person's voice
Antonyms
Idioms
To overcome barriers that stop women or minority groups getting higher jobs
- Informal
A sudden time when many people lose control and chaos starts
- Informal
To do new or difficult things on purpose to learn and grow
A phrase that says hurt to the body is worse than insults and words do not hurt
Compounds
- Specialized
A smaller tax people or companies must pay to encourage certain activities
- Jargon
A quick attack where a team moves fast down the court to score before the defense sets up
How Noticeable
Surface Forms
Etymology
Break comes from an old English word brecan meaning 'to crack' or 'snap'. A 'break' in the voice is like a sudden crack or change in the sound.