breakdown

breakdown — 名詞

1. a situation where a machine, system, plan, discussion, or relationship stops wor

1.名詞B2
釋義

故障；失敗

設備、系統或關係無法正常運作

a situation where a machine, system, plan, discussion, or relationship stops working properly or cannot continue successfully.

例句

An engine breakdown left Priya's bus blocking the bridge at dawn.

引擎故障，讓 Priya 的公車在清晨堵住了橋面。

compound noun: gearbox breakdown

After weeks of shouting, the breakdown in talks at city hall was obvious.

吵了好幾週後，市政廳裡的談判破裂已經很明顯了。

breakdown in + activity noun

同義詞
  • failure

    broader; can describe any lack of success, not only something stopping mid-process

  • collapse

    stronger; suggests a sudden and often complete end

  • malfunction

    mainly for machines or equipment, not talks or relationships

  • disruption

    often temporary; does not always mean total failure

反義詞
  • recovery

    a return to normal working order after trouble

文法句型

breakdown in + noun

breakdown of + noun

用法筆記

Often followed by 'in' when naming the area that failed ('a breakdown in communication') and by 'of' when naming what collapsed ('a breakdown of trust'). For vehicles and machines, speakers often add a specific noun before it, such as 'engine breakdown' or 'brake breakdown'.

常見錯誤

❌My car was in breakdown on the highway.
✅My car had a breakdown on the highway.
💡this noun usually goes with 'have' or 'suffer', not 'be in'.
❌Please send me the breakdown in each cost.
✅Please send me a breakdown of each cost.
💡use 'of' when you mean separate parts in a list.

2. a list or explanation that separates a total into smaller groups or amounts so t

2.名詞C2
釋義

細項；分類

把總數拆開來看的說明或數字

a list or explanation that separates a total into smaller groups or amounts so that each part can be seen clearly.

例句

The finance team sent Omar a breakdown of travel costs by city.

財務團隊把各城市差旅費的細項表寄給了 Omar。

breakdown of + costs/data

On the last slide, the age breakdown showed most visitors were children.

最後一張投影片上的年齡分類顯示，多數訪客都是兒童。

compound noun: age breakdown

同義詞
  • itemization

    stresses listing each separate item one by one

  • analysis

    broader; can include explanation and judgement, not only dividing into parts

  • summary

    more general; may stay brief and not separate all the parts

  • split

    informal; often used for proportions or how money is shared

反義詞
  • total

    shows the combined amount without separating the parts

文法句型

breakdown of + amount/data

breakdown by + category

用法筆記

Common after 'of' or 'by' when numbers are sorted into parts, as in 'a breakdown of costs' or 'a breakdown by age'. Distinguish from sense 5: here the result is a table, list, or explanation, not a substance changing physically.

常見錯誤

❌Please breakdown the numbers for me.
✅Please give me a breakdown of the numbers.
💡'breakdown' is a noun; the verb is 'break down'.

3. a period when someone becomes so mentally or physically exhausted that they cann

3.名詞B2
釋義

崩潰

身心失常到無法過正常生活

a period when someone becomes so mentally or physically exhausted that they cannot manage ordinary life or work.

例句

After months of night shifts, the junior doctor had a breakdown.

連值好幾個月夜班後，那位年輕醫師崩潰了。

have a breakdown

After her breakdown last winter, Leila took three months away from work.

去年冬天崩潰後，Leila 請了三個月假離開工作崗位。

同義詞
  • collapse

    more dramatic and sudden; can also be physical only

  • burnout

    usually more gradual and strongly linked to overwork

  • crisis

    broader; may describe a difficult period without complete collapse

反義詞
  • recovery

    the period of becoming stable and well again

文法句型

have a breakdown

nervous/mental/emotional breakdown

用法筆記

Most often used with 'have' or 'suffer', and with adjectives such as 'nervous', 'mental', and 'emotional'. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about a person's condition, not a machine or system failing.

常見錯誤

❌My printer had a breakdown, so I stayed in bed all week.
✅I had a breakdown, so I stayed in bed all week.
💡only people can have this health sense.

4. a short phase after a tackle when players from both teams try to win the ball on

4.名詞
釋義

爭球階段

橄欖球中擒抱後雙方短暫搶球

a short phase after a tackle when players from both teams try to win the ball on the ground.

例句

At the breakdown, Hana kept the ball safe until two teammates reached her.

在爭球階段，Hana 先護住球，直到兩名隊友趕到。

at the breakdown

The referee blew his whistle when two players entered the breakdown from the side.

兩名球員從側面進入爭球階段，所以裁判吹哨了。

enter the breakdown

同義詞
  • ruck

    more specific; a ruck is one common kind of breakdown under rugby laws

  • contest

    broader; can describe any fight for the ball

文法句型

at the breakdown

enter the breakdown

用法筆記

Rugby-only. Common with 'at' or 'around', and with verbs like 'enter', 'win', and 'slow'. It is not used for football or other team sports.

常見錯誤

❌The striker controlled the breakdown near the goal.
✅The flanker controlled the breakdown after the tackle.
💡this term belongs to rugby, not football.

5. the process in which a substance changes into smaller parts or simpler materials

5.名詞C1
釋義

分解

物質變成較小成分的過程

the process in which a substance changes into smaller parts or simpler materials because of heat, chemicals, or natural action.

例句

Warm weather speeds the breakdown of food waste in the garden bin.

溫暖的天氣會加快園藝桶裡廚餘的分解。

breakdown of + substance

Scientists studied the breakdown of plastic bags in sea water.

科學家研究了塑膠袋在海水中的分解情況。

同義詞
  • decomposition

    more technical and often used in science

  • decay

    common for slow natural damage, especially in plants or food

  • disintegration

    stresses falling apart into pieces

反義詞
  • formation

    the process of being made or built up

文法句型

breakdown of + substance

用法筆記

Usually followed by 'of' plus the substance, as in 'the breakdown of leaves' or 'the breakdown of oil'. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 5 describes a physical change in the material itself, not a list of its parts.

常見錯誤

❌We watched the breakdown of the budget in the lab.
✅We watched the breakdown of the plastic in the lab.
💡this sense takes substances, not numbers or plans.