She is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Source: tatoeba (2183)
Breakdown
/ˈbɹeɪkdaʊn/
Synonyms for "breakdown" (234 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (47)
Noun(17 words)
decompositionallocationanalysesanalysisbreakup processburnoutscatabolismcatacalacategorizationcave inchemical decomposition reactioncivilization breakdowncollapsecollapse completelycollapsescollapsingcompromise
analysisanalyzationanatomizinganatomyassayassayingbankruptcybloodless revolutionbouleversementbreakagebreaking downbreaking upbreakupcataclysmcatastrophecavecave incave-incirculatory collapseclassification
Show 6 more words
Verb(4 words)
burst into tearscollapse suddenlycollapse under pressurecollapses under pressure
Strong matches (70)
Verb(2 words)
crack under pressuredisorganize plans
Noun(33 words)
crack-upcrisiscrumblingdecayingdecomposingdecomposition cycledecomposition reactiondecomposition tendencydeconstructiondegradationdestabilizationdetailing processdigestiondisassemblydisintegrationdislocationdisorder the plandisruption of community structuredissectiondistribution
Show 13 more words
dysfunctionsecosystem dysfunctionalityequipment failurefail to operatefailurefailuresfall apartfragmentation conceptfreeze upfritzglitchgo to piecesgo wrong
Related words (117)
gravimetric analysisharmhobblinghurthurtinghustleimpairmentincapacitationinfringementinjuryinroaditemizationjiglossmaimingmayhemmiscarriagemischiefmutilationnervous breakdown
Show 55 more words
nervous exhaustionnervous prostrationneurasthenianose diveoverthrowoverturnpalace revolutionpratfallprostrationproximate analysisquantitative analysisradical changereduction to elementsresolutionresolvereviewrevoltrevolutionrevolutionary warrevulsionruinruinationruinousnessrun-downsabotagescathesegmentationseizuresemimicroanalysisseparationshipwreckshocksickeningsmashsmashupspasmspoilingstriking alterationstumblesubdivisionsubversionsweeping changetabula rasatailspintechnological revolutiontotal changetotal losstransiliencetumbleupsetviolent changewashoutweakeningwrackwreck
Adjective(5 words)
historical disintegrationitalian collassomolecular fragmentationsocial fragmentationsystemic disarray
Noun(35 words)
implodingimplosionline disconnectionmalfunctionmalfunctionsmechanical faultmeltdownmeltdownsmiscarriagenonfunctionnotworkorganic matter decompositionorganization failureparseparsingpartitioningproject collapseputrefactionrotrotting
Show 15 more words
rupturessegmentationsingularitiesslakingsocietal collapsestate of disarraysuccumbencesudden collapsesystem crashsystem failuretatterstechnology system failureunhingingunpackingweathering
Determiner(1 words)
more societal-collapse
Verb(1 words)
slip into chaos
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: decomposition, allocation, analyses, analysis, analysis.
- Sentence evidence is available for breakdown, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "breakdown".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "breakdown"
Keep "breakdown" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "breakdown" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "breakdown", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "breakdown" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
21 entriesanalysisanalytic thinkingchemical reactionclassificationcollapsedecaydisruptiondistributionemotional stateeventexplanationfailureincidentmental stateoccurrenceorganization
Showing 16 of 21 words.
More specific
16 entriesage breakdownanxiety attackcomponent breakdowncost breakdownemotional crisisequipment failuregender breakdownincome breakdownnetwork breakdownpanic attackpower outageregional breakdownstress meltdownstructure breakdownsystem crashtime breakdown
Collocations
6 entriescost breakdownemotional breakdowngender breakdownnervous breakdownregional breakdowntime breakdown
Inflections
1 entriesTranslations
47 translations across 26 languages.
Azerbaijani
1 entries- sınma noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Bulgarian
3 entries- ава́рия noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- повреда noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- счупване noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Catalan
2 entries- avaria noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- pana noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 故障 noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Dutch
4 entries- defect noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- mankement noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- panne noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- stilstand noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Esperanto
1 entries- paneo noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Finnish
4 entries- rikko noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- rikkoontuminen noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- rikkoutuminen noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- vika noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
French
1 entries- panne noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
German
2 entries- Betriebsstörung noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- Panne noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Greek
2 entries- βλάβη noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- κατάρρευση noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Hebrew
1 entries- התקלקלות noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Hungarian
2 entries- meghibásodás noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- üzemzavar noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Irish
1 entries- cliseadh noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Italian
3 entries- avaria noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- collasso noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- guasto noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Japanese
1 entries- 故障 noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Korean
1 entries- 고장 noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Marathi
1 entries- विभंग noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- havari noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- havari noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Polish
1 entries- awaria noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Portuguese
1 entries- avaria noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Russian
3 entries- ава́рия noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- поврежде́ние noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- поло́мка noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Slovak
2 entries- havária noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- porucha noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Spanish
4 entries- avería noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- descompostura noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- pana noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
- panne noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Swedish
1 entries- haveri noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Tagalog
1 entries- aberya noun (failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature)
Sample sentences
30 total sentences available.
If Jane does not rest more, she may have a nervous breakdown.
Source: tatoeba (53781)
Kaneko was so stressed out at her new job that she had a nervous breakdown.
Source: tatoeba (239038)
I think you're partly to blame for the negotiation breakdown.
Source: tatoeba (240286)
Showing 4 of 30 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "breakdown"?
Closest matches include decomposition, allocation, analyses, analysis, analysis.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "breakdown"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.