breakdown meaning

breakdown means 'a failure or collapse of something'.

breakdown :

failure, collapse

noun

▪ The car had a breakdown on the road.

▪ The car stopped working on the road.

▪ There was a breakdown in communication.

▪ Communication stopped working.

paraphrasing

▪ failure – not working

▪ collapse – falling apart

▪ malfunction – not working right

▪ interruption – stopping suddenly

breakdown

Pronunciation

breakdown [ˈbreɪkˌdaʊn]

The stress is on 'break' and sounds like 'brayk-doun'.

Common phrases and grammar about breakdown

breakdown - Common meaning

noun
failure, collapse

Part of Speech Changes for "breakdown"

▪ break (verb) – to make something stop working

▪ broken (adjective) – not working

Common Expressions with "breakdown"

▪ suffer a breakdown – to experience a failure

▪ cause a breakdown – to make something fail

▪ breakdown in communication – failure to communicate

▪ vehicle breakdown – car or machine failure

Important examples of breakdown in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC vocabulary questions, breakdown is often used to describe failures in systems or communication.

▪The meeting ended due to a breakdown in communication.
▪The meeting stopped because communication failed.

Example of a confusing word: breakthrough (an important discovery)

▪The meeting ended due to a breakthrough in communication.
▪The meeting ended because an important discovery was made in communication.
"Breakdown" refers to a failure or collapse, especially in communication or a system. It is used correctly in the sentence "The meeting ended due to a breakdown in communication," indicating that the meeting stopped because communication failed. "Breakthrough," however, means "an important discovery or development," and using it in the sentence changes the meaning entirely, suggesting a positive development rather than a failure. The sentence "The meeting ended due to a breakthrough" is not only semantically incorrect but also illogical in this context. Therefore, "breakdown" is the correct choice.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

Breakdown is often used as a noun in grammar questions, focusing on its role as a subject or object.

▪A breakdown occurred during the process.
▪A failure happened during the process.

breakdown

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

nervous breakdown

'mental collapse' used when someone is overwhelmed by stress.

▪He had a nervous breakdown last year.
▪He had a mental collapse last year.

breakdown of negotiations

means 'failure to reach an agreement'.

▪The breakdown of negotiations led to no deal.
▪The failure of talks led to no agreement.

Differences between similar words and breakdown

breakdown

,

failure

differences

Breakdown refers to a sudden stop or collapse, while failure is more general and can refer to not succeeding.

breakdown
▪The engine had a breakdown.
▪The engine stopped working suddenly.
failure
▪The project was a failure.
▪The project did not succeed.
breakdown

Words with the same origin as breakdown

The origin of breakdown

The word 'breakdown' comes from the combination of 'break' and 'down', meaning to fall apart or stop working.

Word structure

It is composed of 'break' (to separate) and 'down' (completely), meaning 'to completely separate'.

Words with the same origin

The word's root is unclear or difficult to confirm.

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