break – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of break

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to break sth out
Participle: broken sth out
Gerund: breaking sth out

Cognates

-

Indicative

Present

Ibreak sth out
youbreak sth out
he;she;itbreaks sth out
webreak sth out
youbreak sth out
theybreak sth out

Perfect

Ihave broken sth out; broke sth out
youhave broken sth out; broke sth out
he;she;ithas broken sth out; broke sth out
wehave broken sth out; broke sth out
youhave broken sth out; broke sth out
theyhave broken sth out; broke sth out

Past

Ibroke sth out
youbroke sth out
he;she;itbroke sth out
webroke sth out
youbroke sth out
theybroke sth out

Pluperfect

Ihad broken sth out; broke sth out
youhad broken sth out; broke sth out
he;she;ithad broken sth out; broke sth out
wehad broken sth out; broke sth out
youhad broken sth out; broke sth out
theyhad broken sth out; broke sth out

Future

Iwill break sth out
youwill break sth out
he;she;itwill break sth out
wewill break sth out
youwill break sth out
theywill break sth out

Future Perfect

Iwill have broken sth out; broke sth out
youwill have broken sth out; broke sth out
he;she;itwill have broken sth out; broke sth out
wewill have broken sth out; broke sth out
youwill have broken sth out; broke sth out
theywill have broken sth out; broke sth out

Subjunctive

Present

Ibreak sth out
youbreak sth out
he;she;itbreak sth out
webreak sth out
youbreak sth out
theybreak sth out

Perfect

Ihave broken sth out; broke sth out
youhave broken sth out; broke sth out
he;she;ithave broken sth out; broke sth out
wehave broken sth out; broke sth out
youhave broken sth out; broke sth out
theyhave broken sth out; broke sth out

Imperfect

Ibroke sth out
youbroke sth out
he;she;itbroke sth out
webroke sth out
youbroke sth out
theybroke sth out

Pluperfect

Ihad broken sth out; broke sth out
youhad broken sth out; broke sth out
he;she;ithad broken sth out; broke sth out
wehad broken sth out; broke sth out
youhad broken sth out; broke sth out
theyhad broken sth out; broke sth out

Conditional

Present

Iwould break sth out
youwould break sth out
he;she;itwould break sth out
wewould break sth out
youwould break sth out
theywould break sth out

Perfect

Iwould have broken sth out; broke sth out
youwould have broken sth out; broke sth out
he;she;itwould have broken sth out; broke sth out
wewould have broken sth out; broke sth out
youwould have broken sth out; broke sth out
theywould have broken sth out; broke sth out

Imperative

youbreak sth out
weLet's break sth out
youbreak sth out

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam breaking sth out
youare breaking sth out
he;she;itis breaking sth out
weare breaking sth out
youare breaking sth out
theyare breaking sth out

Perfect

Ihave been breaking sth out
youhave been breaking sth out
he;she;ithas been breaking sth out
wehave been breaking sth out
youhave been breaking sth out
theyhave been breaking sth out

Past

Iwas breaking sth out
youwere breaking sth out
he;she;itwas breaking sth out
wewere breaking sth out
youwere breaking sth out
theywere breaking sth out

Pluperfect

Ihad been breaking sth out
youhad been breaking sth out
he;she;ithad been breaking sth out
wehad been breaking sth out
youhad been breaking sth out
theyhad been breaking sth out

Future

Iwill be breaking sth out
youwill be breaking sth out
he;she;itwill be breaking sth out
wewill be breaking sth out
youwill be breaking sth out
theywill be breaking sth out

Future Perfect

Iwill have been breaking sth out
youwill have been breaking sth out
he;she;itwill have been breaking sth out
wewill have been breaking sth out
youwill have been breaking sth out
theywill have been breaking sth out

Conditional

Present

Iwould be breaking sth out
youwould be breaking sth out
he;she;itwould be breaking sth out
wewould be breaking sth out
youwould be breaking sth out
theywould be breaking sth out

Perfect

Iwould have been breaking sth out
youwould have been breaking sth out
he;she;itwould have been breaking sth out
wewould have been breaking sth out
youwould have been breaking sth out
theywould have been breaking sth out

Other

Verbs conjugated like 'break'

bespeak, break, speak, steal,

Verbs similar to 'break'

beak, bread, bream, creak, freak, wreak, aread, arear, bead, beal,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

destroy
crash, batter, dash, crush, demolish, fracture, shatter, shiver
violate
contravene, disobey, infract, infringe, transgress

Antonyms

to restore to a sound or good state
aggravate, damage, hurt, repair
to continue to exist
fail, persist, yield
destroy
construct, build, create, originate

Additional Information

Etymology

1. O.E. brecan (class IV strong verb; past tense bræc, pp. brocen), from P.Gmc. *brekan (cf. O.Fris. breka, Du. breken, O.H.G. brehhan, Ger. brechen, Goth. brikan), from PIE base *bhreg- "to break" (see fraction). Most modern senses were in O.E. Meaning "to disclose" is from 1450. Noun sense of "short interval between spells of work (originally between lessons at school) is from 1861. Break the ice is 1602, in ref. to the "coldness" of encounters of strangers. Break wind first attested 1552. Breaker "heavy ocean wave" is from 1684. Breakneck (of speeds, etc.) is from 1562. Breakthrough is 1918, originally in ref. to WWI military events. Ironic theatrical good luck formula break a leg has parallels in Ger. Hals und Bein brechen "break your neck and leg," and It. in bocca al lupo.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg-
4. Proto-Indo-European *-eti
5. Proto-Indo-European *bʰrégeti
6. Proto-Germanic *brekaną
7. Proto-West Germanic *brekan
8. Old English brecan
9. Middle English breken
10. English break
11. From Middle English breken, from Old English brecan (“to break”), from Proto-West Germanic *brekan, from Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (“to break”). Doublet of bray.
12. Cognates
13. Cognates of Germanic origin include Scots brek (“to break”), West Frisian brekke (“to break”), Dutch breken (“to break”), Low German breken (“to break”), German brechen (“to break”), French broyer (“to crush, grind”), Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (brikan, “to break, destroy”), Norwegian brek (“desire, yearning”).
14. Also cognate with Albanian brishtë (“fragile”), Latin frangō (“break, break up, shatter”, verb), whence English fracture and other terms – fragile, frail, fraction, and fragment.
15. The modern pronunciation shows an irregular change of Early Modern English /ɛː/ to /eɪ/ in the standard language; contrast this with the development of other words such as speak and wreak. See: Middle English 'breken', Old English 'brecan', Proto-Germanic '*brekaną', Dutch 'breken', Low Saxon 'breken', German, old spelling 'brechen', French 'broyer', Latin 'frangō', English 'fracture'.

Verbs referencing "break"

Tok Pisin bruk, Low Saxon breken, German, Pennsylvania breche, Finnish with old forms breikata, Danish brække, Luxembourgish briechen, Tok Pisin brukim.

Sample Sentences

  • [...] our ears, the vessel throbs like a strong giant that has just received the breath of life; the two great wheels turn fiercely round for the first time; and the noble ship, with wind and tide astern, breaks proudly through the lashed and roaming water. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • The subject appeared to interest the gentleman deeply; for while Mr. Shelby was thoughtfully peeling an orange, Haley broke out afresh, with becoming diffidence, but as if actually driven by the force of truth to say a few words more. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • The heaviest load on his mind, after his conversation with the trader, lay in the foreseen necessity of breaking to his wife the arrangement contemplated,—meeting the importunities and opposition which he knew he should have reason to encounter. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “ Here, you Mose, Pete, ” he said, breaking off liberal bits, and throwing it at them; “ you want some, don't you ? Come, Aunt Chloe, bake them some cakes. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] ourselves and for the shadows who appear to us in those visions of the night, so she, having no words, uses her finger alphabet in her sleep. And it has been ascertained that when her slumber is broken, and is much disturbed by dreams, she expresses her thoughts in an irregular and confused manner on her fingers: just as we should murmur and mutter them indistinctly, in the like circumstances. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] I can bar it as well as any on ’ em, ” he added, while something like a sob and a sigh shook his broad, rough chest convulsively. “ Mas’r always found me on the spot—he always will. I never have broke trust, nor used my pass no ways contrary to my word, and I never will. It's better for me alone to go, than to break up the place and sell all. Mas’r an't to blame, Chloe, and he'll take care [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] “ Mas’r always found me on the spot—he always will. I never have broke trust, nor used my pass no ways contrary to my word, and I never will. It's better for me alone to go, than to break up the place and sell all. Mas’r an't to blame, Chloe, and he'll take care of you and the poor — ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] Haley's horse _should_ begin to act contrary, and cut up, you and I jist lets go of our’n to help him, and _we'll help him_—oh yes ! ” And Sam and Andy laid their heads back on their shoulders, and broke into a low, immoderate laugh, snapping their fingers and flourishing their heels with exquisite delight. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] two hundred prisoners. A spot was shown me in the sleeping ward, where a watchman was murdered some years since in the dead of night, in a desperate attempt to escape, made by a prisoner who had broken from his cell. A woman, too, was pointed out to me, who, for the murder of her husband, had been a close prisoner for sixteen years. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] or oftener. For the young gentlemen, there is the counting-house, the store, the bar-room: the latter, as you may see through these windows, pretty full. Hark! to the clinking sound of hammers breaking lumps of ice, and to the cool gurgling of the pounded bits, as, in the process of mixing, they are poured from glass to glass ! No amusements? What are these suckers of cigars and swallowers of [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • You know, Hemingway wrote, " The world breaks everyone, (The Crow)
  • about the SUV you broke into. Goddamn it, I don't care about that. (Locked)
  • ♪ Don't fret in fear or worry forever ♪ ♪ Don't get shaken Don't be broken ♪ (Magudam)
  • [cell door slams] I know that look. Your heart's been broken. (Fackham Hall)
  • It says that you broke into her flat during the theft, (Nunakuzhi)