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Glite Dictionary
give me a break

give me a break

22 7.9
Ask someone to stop criticizing or asking too much of you
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : darme un respiro
  • Oh, give me a break.
  • Oh, give me a break
  • Please, give me a break
  • Hey, give me a break

So if that's their their saving grace, you know, give me a break.

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Examples

Synonyms

for Christ's sake
vsgive me a break
  • Offensive
62 9.2

A strong word that shows annoyance and makes a request urgent

asks someone to stop criticizing or to get relief from pressure
for goodness' sake
vsgive me a break
  • Informal
10 7.6

Say it when you are annoyed to ask someone to do or stop something

asks someone to stop criticizing or to get relief from pressure
for the love of Christ
vsgive me a break
  • Offensive
9.7

A strong spoken request or cry that shows shock and anger

asks someone to stop criticizing or to get relief from pressure

Antonyms

to accept
∞ 3.5

To tolerate an unpleasant situation without complaining

to endure
304 3.5

To deal with something difficult for a long time without giving up

How Urgent

for goodness' sake
  • Informal
10 7.6
to knock it off
  • Informal
321 8.1
give me a break
  • Informal
22 7.9

Surface Forms

give me a break main

Morphology

give + me + a + break

The components 'give' + 'me' + 'a' + 'break' literally yield a plausible request for rest or relief (i.e., 'give me a rest'), so a learner who knows the words can infer the basic sense of asking for a pause or relief. However, the phrase is frequently used as a fixed, pragmatic exclamation of exasperation or to tell someone to stop criticizing (a usage that goes beyond the purely literal request), which is a conventionalized extension not fully predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Give me a break comes from the simple image of asking someone to give you a short break, a pause or rest, when you are tired or under pressure. So today it is used to tell someone 'stop criticizing' you or to ask for a little 'relief' from a hard situation.