jawbreaker
C1informal
Definition
Meaning
A large, hard round sweet that dissolves slowly in the mouth.
Any word that is exceptionally long and difficult to pronounce; a tongue-twister.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The sweet meaning is primary, especially in American English. The "difficult word" meaning is a metaphorical extension, playing on the idea of the sweet being hard enough to break one's jaw and the word being hard enough to break one's ability to speak.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
"Jawbreaker" for the sweet is overwhelmingly American; the UK equivalent is "gobstopper." The "difficult word" sense is understood in both varieties but less common in the UK.
Connotations
In the US, the sweet connotation is nostalgic (classic penny candy). In the UK, using "jawbreaker" for a sweet sounds distinctly American.
Frequency
Low frequency overall in the UK. Medium-low in the US, with the sweet meaning being more common than the word-meaning.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The word X is a real jawbreaker.Try pronouncing this jawbreaker.She bought a jawbreaker from the store.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[It's] a jawbreaker of a word/phrase/name.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might humorously describe a complex technical term or acronym (e.g., 'The new compliance regulation's acronym is a real jawbreaker.').
Academic
Occasional in linguistics or language teaching to describe phonologically complex words.
Everyday
Most common for referring to the candy (US) or, less often, a very long/difficult word.
Technical
Not used in formal technical contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The politician's jawbreaker name was mispronounced by every reporter.
- It was a jawbreaker of a legal clause.
American English
- He stumbled over the jawbreaker scientific term.
- She loved the jawbreaker candies from the old-fashioned shop.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The child sucked on a red jawbreaker for hours.
- "Antidisestablishmentarianism" is a famous jawbreaker.
- The biochemistry textbook was full of jawbreakers I'd never heard before.
- The linguist delighted in collecting phonological jawbreakers from various languages.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine trying to SAY a word so long and hard it feels like you're trying to CRACK a giant, rock-hard SWEET with your JAW.
Conceptual Metaphor
DIFFICULTY IS HARDNESS (a 'hard' word); LANGUAGE IS FOOD (consuming/chewing on a word).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally as "сокрушитель челюсти" – this is nonsensical. For the sweet, use "леденец-глобус" or describe it. For the word, use "труднопроизносимое слово" or "скороговорка".
Common Mistakes
- Using it in formal writing.
- Using 'jawbreaker' for the sweet in the UK expecting it to be understood.
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'jawbreaker' be LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It's informal and of medium-low frequency. It's most common in American English referring to the candy.
"Gobstopper." Using 'jawbreaker' in the UK for a sweet will often require explanation.
No, it is exclusively a noun in standard usage.
Not inherently. It's usually humorous or descriptive, not pejorative.
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