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
- Informal
A sudden time when many people lose control and chaos starts
To overcome barriers that stop women or minority groups getting higher jobs
- 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
- Specialized
A seal that breaks when a package is opened to show if someone opened it
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.