break down
phrasal verbbreak down
(of a machine or vehicle 机器或车辆 to stop working because of a fault 出故障；坏掉 The telephone system has broken down. 电话系统瘫痪了。 We (= the car) broke down on the freeway. 我们的车在高速公路上抛锚了。
to fail 失败 Negotiations between the two sides have broken down. 双方谈判失败了。 Their marriage had broken down irretrievably. 他们的婚姻已破裂，不可挽回。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- completely
- irretrievably
- eventually
- …
to become very bad 被搞垮；垮掉 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- completely
- irretrievably
- eventually
- …
to lose control of your feelings and start crying 情不自禁地哭起来 He broke down and wept when he heard the news. 听到这个消息，他不禁失声痛哭。 She broke down in tears as she spoke to reporters. 她向记者诉说时，忍不住哭了起来。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryphrases- break down and cry
- break down in tears
to divide into parts to be analysed 划分（以便分析） Expenditure on the project breaks down as follows: wages $10m, plant $4m, raw materials $5m. 这项工程的支出费用分项列明如下：工资 1 000 万美元，设备 400 万美元，原料 500 万美元。
break something down
to make something fall down, open, etc. by hitting it hard 打倒，砸破（某物） to destroy something or make it disappear, especially a particular feeling or attitude that somebody has 破坏，消除（尤指某种感情或态度） to break down resistance/opposition 瓦解抵抗／反对 to break down somebody’s reserve/shyness 驱除某人的矜持／胆怯 Attempts must be made to break down the barriers of fear and hostility which divide the two communities. 必须设法消除造成这两个团体不和的恐惧和敌意。
to divide something into parts in order to analyse it or make it easier to do 把…分类；划分 Break your expenditure down into bills, food and other. 把支出费用按账单、食物及其他分类列明。 Each lesson is broken down into several units. 每一课都分成几个单元。
to make a substance separate into parts or change into a different form in a chemical process 使分解（为）；使变化（成） related noun breakdown