Cool MateBreak your balls vs Struggle
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Break your balls
SlangBeyond 10,000 (less common)
Struggle
Top 1,000 (very common)B2verb
Most formal: StruggleMost common: Struggle
| Break your balls | Struggle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //breɪk jɔː bɔːlz//🇺🇸 //breɪk jʊr bɔlz// | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈstrʌɡl/","/ˈstrʌɡlz/","/ˈstrʌɡld/","/ˈstrʌɡlɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈstrʌɡl/","/ˈstrʌɡlz/","/ˈstrʌɡld/","/ˈstrʌɡlɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | To work really hard or face a tough situation. | To try hard to do something difficult. |
| Example | I had to break my balls to finish the project on time. | She had to struggle through the difficult exam to pass her class. |
| Register | Slang | Neutral |
| How common | Beyond 10,000 (less common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | B2 |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | break your balls at work, break your balls for success, break your balls in the gym | desperately, hard, manfully, have to, against, along, down, struggle to your feet, badly, really, clearly, through, with, struggle to make ends meet, fiercely, furiously, violently, against, with, struggle free |
| Antonyms | - | succeed, flourish, thrive |
| Common mistakes | Confusing with 'break a leg' which means to wish someone good luck., Using it in formal conversations., Misunderstanding it to mean physically hurting oneself. | 'Struggled' vs 'struggles' confusion - using the wrong tense., Omitting 'to' when saying what one struggles to do., 'Struggles with' is sometimes mistakenly used with objects instead of actions. |
| Usage notes | Used informally among friends; may be considered crude. Avoid in formal settings. | Use 'struggle' when discussing challenges or difficulties, both physically and mentally. It's appropriate in most contexts, from casual conversations to more serious discussions about issues. |
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Frequently asked questions: Break your balls vs Struggle
What's the difference between Break your balls and Struggle?
Break your balls: To work really hard or face a tough situation. Struggle: To try hard to do something difficult.
Which is more formal: Break your balls and Struggle?
Struggle is the most formal of these.
Which is more common: Break your balls and Struggle?
Struggle is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Break your balls: I had to break my balls to finish the project on time. Struggle: She had to struggle through the difficult exam to pass her class.
Can I use Break your balls and Struggle interchangeably?
Not always. Break your balls and Struggle are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.