Standard Lemma guide

breakneck

adj · adv · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈbɹeɪkˌnɛk/
  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: [ˈbɹ(w)eɪ̯kˌnɛk]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈbɹæɪkˌnek/
  • Australian, New-Zealand: [ˈbɹ(w)æɪ̯kˌnek]
  • CMU ARPABET: B R EY1 K N EH2 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Dangerously fast; hell-for-leather.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • breakneck pace
  • He came running around the corner at a breakneck pace and couldn't stop in time to avoid hitting the fruit stand.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Dangerously fast.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A fall that breaks the neck.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A dangerous steep place from which one could fall and be injured.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

moving at very high speed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a breakneck pace

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From break + neck.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: halsbrekend — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Finnish: vinha — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • German: halsbrecherisch — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Italian: all'impazzata — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Italian: a rotta di collo — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Italian: a rompicollo — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Spanish: a toda carrera — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Spanish: a tumba abierta — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Spanish: como alma que lleva el diablo — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Spanish: disparado — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Spanish: como relámpago — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Spanish: a toda leche — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Spanish: a toda ostia — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Spanish: a todo vapor — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Spanish: a velocidad de vértigo — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Spanish: a toda máquina — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Spanish: a toda pastilla — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Swedish: halsbrytande — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Turkish: kafa göz yarabilen — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Turkish: son derece tehlikeli — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Ukrainian: стрімголо́в (strimholóv) — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather
  • Ukrainian: з карколо́мною шви́дкістю (z karkolómnoju švýdkistju) — dangerously fast; hell-for-leather