crack up

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Sure! Let’s break down the phrase "crack up."

Definition:

"Crack up" is a phrasal verb in English that can have a couple of different meanings, depending on the context:

Usage Instructions:

• For laughter: You can use "crack up" to describe a situation where someone finds something extremely funny.
• For stress: You can use it to talk about someone who is under a lot of pressure and is struggling to cope.

Examples:

1. Laughing:

   • "I told a joke, and everyone in the room just cracked up!"
   • "She always cracks up at my silly stories."

2. Nervous Breakdown:

   • "After weeks of working long hours, he finally cracked up and needed a break."
   • "She was so stressed from the exams that she felt like she might crack up."

Advanced Usage:

In more advanced contexts, you might see "crack up" used in discussions about mental health or in comedic settings. For instance, you might say: - "The pressure of her job caused her to crack up, and she had to seek help." - "The comedian's performance was so good that the audience cracked up the entire time."

Word Variants:

• Cracked up (past tense): "He cracked up when he heard the joke."
• Cracking up (present participle): "They are cracking up over the funny meme."

Different Meanings:

• Laughter: Light-hearted and fun.
• Nervous Breakdown: Serious and often requires support or intervention.

Synonyms:

For laughter: - Laugh out loud - Burst out laughing - Giggle uncontrollably

Idioms and Related Phrasal Verbs:

• "Lose it": To lose control of one’s emotions, similar to cracking up in the context of stress.
• "Burst out laughing": Similar to cracking up in the context of laughter.

Summary:

"Crack up" can mean to laugh very hard or to become overwhelmed with stress. Understanding its context is key to using it correctly.

Academic

Verb

1. laugh unrestrainedly
2. rhapsodize about
3. suffer a nervous breakdown

Synonyms

• break up
• crack
• crock up
• collapse