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break

break

17 6.2
An abrupt change in voice pitch during strong emotion
  • noun
  • /breɪk/
translation icon : quiebre de la voz
  • 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

catch
vsbreak
6 7.2

A small break or hesitation in a person's voice

is a sudden change in voice tone or pitch stronger than a slight pause

Antonyms

363 3.1

Being steady and not likely to change

77 3.2

The state of things or actions being the same and in agreement

Idioms

to make or break
  • Informal
26 4.5

Decide whether something is a complete success or failure

give me a break
  • Informal
22 7.9

Ask someone to stop criticizing or asking too much of you

to break a sweat
  • Informal
20 4.1

To start sweating from hard work or to need to try hard

to break a leg
  • Informal
15 6.3

To wish someone good luck before a performance

To cost a lot of money

To make a sound or speak after a time of silence

To do something in a new way instead of the usual way

To stop poverty passing from parents to children

To overcome barriers that stop women or minority groups getting higher jobs

1 7.9

A sudden time when many people lose control and chaos starts

1 5.4

Cause a huge rise in online attention and internet traffic

6.0

To work very hard at something until you are very tired

Have a first success after trying and failing

9.9

To fight strongly for a good cause in a brave, fair way

to break the buck
  • Literature
9.8

A money market fund's share price falls below one dollar

To do new or difficult things on purpose to learn and grow

To tease or nag someone in a way that annoys them

A phrase that says hurt to the body is worse than insults and words do not hurt

To look at the sky as the sun comes up

Compounds

tax break
  • Specialized
98 3.0

A smaller tax people or companies must pay to encourage certain activities

83 3.9

An illegal entry into a building to steal or damage things

81 2.0

A short vacation from school in spring, usually one week

big break
  • Informal
38 3.2

An important chance that helps a person become successful in their career

20 1.0

A short break from work to drink coffee or eat a small snack

tough break
  • Informal
19 5.8

An unlucky event that makes things harder for someone

lucky break
  • Informal
13 3.2

A sudden chance that helps you succeed

13 1.2

A short pause to use the toilet

clean break
  • Informal
12 3.9

A complete ending of a relationship or old life to start fresh

10 1.0

A holiday when schools and universities close for winter

fast break
  • Jargon
9 3.5

A quick attack where a team moves fast down the court to score before the defense sets up

4 1.0

The first light of morning when the sun rises

A solo street dance with fast acrobatic moves on the ground to hip-hop music

1 3.6

A solo street dance with quick acrobatic moves often done to hip-hop music

1 1.3

A short informal break at work to drink tea or another drink

1 4.5

Illegal access to a computer system to steal or damage data

bio-break
  • Informal
1 8.6

A short break to use the toilet or take care of personal needs

The first light of morning when the sun begins to appear

5.1

A game one player wins while the opponent is serving

break seal
  • Specialized
6.1

A seal that breaks when a package is opened to show if someone opened it

9.9

A tree from the West Indies with very hard wood used for building

4.1

A piece that has come away from a larger object, often suddenly

3.9

A short pause in an activity

4.3

An ending of a relationship or agreement, often sudden

3.7

A short pause to use the toilet or have a brief rest

A short pause from work to move, stretch, or rest

service break
  • Jargon
5.1

A game the player who is not serving wins in tennis

How Noticeable

to sob
15 1.0
break
17 6.2
to quaver
3 8.1
catch
6 7.2
hesitation
110 2.8

Surface Forms

break singular
breaks plural

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.