Brake — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈbrāk/

Meaning & Definition of Brake

Brake (noun)

  1. a device for arresting or preventing the motion of a mechanism usually by means of friction
  2. something used to slow down or stop movement or activity
  3. the common bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum)
  4. a toothed instrument or machine for separating out the fiber of flax or hemp by breaking up the woody parts
  5. a machine for bending, flanging, folding, and forming sheet metal
  6. rough or marshy land overgrown usually with one kind of plant

Brake (verb)

  1. to operate or manage a brake; especially, to apply the brake on a vehicle
  2. to become checked by a brake
  3. to slow or stop by or as if by a brake

Brake (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a thick patch of shrubbery, small trees, or underbrush

    "built a small shelter in the brake to watch for deer"

    similar: boscage, bosk, bosquet, brushwood, chaparral, coppice, copse, covert, thicket
    related: canebrake, brush, bush, scrub, scrubland, bramble, jungle, tangle, grove, hedge, stand, woodlot, forest, greenwood, wildwood, wood, woodland

Brake (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause to move or proceed at a less rapid pace

    "braked the car sharply when someone pulled out in front of us"

    similar: decelerate, retard, slacken, slow
    related: halt, stop, encumber, hamper, handicap, hinder, hobble, hold back, hold up, impede, inhibit, obstruct, set back, tie up, bottleneck, arrest, check, constrain, curb, rein, restrain, baffle, foil, frustrate, sabotage, thwart
    opposite: accelerate, hasten, hurry, quicken, rush, speed (up), step up
    near: drive, encourage, goad, propel, push, spur, stir, urge, advance, aid, dispatch, ease, expedite, facilitate, forward, further, help

Related Entry: Break (noun)

Break is a different word from Brake. The synonyms below are for break, not for brake.

  1. a momentary halt in an activity

    "there was a brief break after the first movement as the doors to the concert hall were opened and the latecomers were allowed in"

    similar: breath, breather, interruption, lull, pause, recess
    related: time-out, interim, interlude, intermission, interval, respite, rest, cessation, discontinuance, downtime, ending, expiration, finishing, hitch, lapse, stoppage, stopping, termination, abeyance, moratorium, surcease, suspension, discontinuity, gap, hiatus
    near: continuation, endurance, persistence, progress, progression, extension, prolongation

  2. a period during which the usual routine of school or work is suspended

    "most of the students at the boarding school are going home for Christmas break"

    similar: holiday (chiefly British), hols (British), leave, recess, vacation
    related: sabbatical, furlough, liberty, breather, relaxation, respite, rest, interim, intermission, interval, feast, holy day, legal holiday, idling, loafing, lounging, slacking

  3. an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge)

    "the rancher repaired the break in the fence where the horse had gotten through"

    similar: breach, discontinuity, gap, gulf, hiatus, hole, interstice, interval, opening, rent, rift, separation, void
    related: chink, cleft, crack, cranny, crevice, fissure, notch, slit, slot, split, interspace, pore, abyss, aperture, cavity, chasm, gape, orifice, fracture, rupture, severance, sundering

  4. a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place

    "in classic fashion, her big break came when, as an understudy, she took over for an ailing star"

    similar: chance, occasion, opening, opportunity, room, shot
    related: play, way, juncture, pass

  5. an unexpected benefit or advantage resulting from the uncertain course of events

    "a guy who just seems to get all the breaks in life"

    similar: fluke, strike, stroke of luck
    related: accident, chance, circumstance, hap, happenchance, happenstance, hazard, luck

  6. the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement

    "a desperate break from that hellhole"

    similar: breakout, bunk (British), escape, flight, getaway, lam, rout, slip
    related: jailbreak, deliverance, liberation, redemption, release, rescue, salvation, close call, close shave, near miss
    near: captivity, confinement, immurement, imprisonment, incarceration, internment, custody, detention, hold, holding, retention, endangerment, hazard, imperilment, jeopardy, peril, risk, trouble

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Brake

The most common words with a similar meaning to Brake:

boscage, bosk, bosquet, brushwood, chaparral, coppice, copse, covert, thicket, decelerate, retard, slacken, slow

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Brake

Words with the opposite meaning of Brake:

accelerate, hasten, hurry, quicken, rush, speed (up), step up

Related Words for Brake

canebrake, brush, bush, scrub, scrubland, bramble, jungle, tangle, grove, hedge, stand, woodlot, forest, greenwood, wildwood, wood, woodland, halt, stop, encumber, hamper, handicap, hinder, hobble, hold back, hold up, impede, inhibit, obstruct, set back

Near Antonyms of Brake

drive, encourage, goad, propel, push, spur, stir, urge, advance, aid, dispatch, ease, expedite, facilitate, forward, further, help

Word Forms of Brake

Inflections: braked, braking

Derived words: brakeless (adjective), braky (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Brake

perhaps from obsolete brake bridle

First known use: circa 1782

Words & Phrases Containing Brake

brake pad, air brake, coaster brake, disc brake

Frequently Asked Questions about Brake

What does "Brake" mean?

"Brake" means a device for arresting or preventing the motion of a mechanism usually by means of friction. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a device for arresting or preventing the motion of a mechanism usually by means of friction. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Brake"?

Other words for "Brake" include boscage, bosk, bosquet, brushwood, chaparral, coppice, copse and covert. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Brake" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Brake"?

There are 56 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Brake". Common alternatives include boscage, bosk, bosquet, brushwood, chaparral, coppice, copse, covert, thicket and decelerate.

What is the opposite of "Brake"?

Antonyms of "Brake" include accelerate, hasten, hurry, quicken, rush, speed (up) and step up. Near antonyms include drive, encourage, goad and propel.

How do you use "Brake" in a sentence?

Examples of "Brake" in a sentence: "built a small shelter in the brake to watch for deer"; "braked the car sharply when someone pulled out in front of us".

Is "Brake" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Brake" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Brake"?

"Brake" is pronounced /ˈbrāk/.

What is the origin of the word "Brake"?

"Brake" comes from perhaps from obsolete brake bridle. First known use: circa 1782.