détraquer

to break down, to put out of order

verb deh-trah-KEH Rare

Usage Note

détraquer means to cause a mechanism or system to malfunction (détraquer une montre = to ruin a watch). The reflexive se détraquer is common and can refer to machines breaking down or to a person becoming unhinged. Détraqué as an adjective informally means 'nutty' or 'off one's rocker.'

Examples

"Il a détraqué l'imprimante en voulant la réparer."

Natural Translation

He broke the printer while trying to fix it.

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