Ceased to function

USAGE SUMMARY

"Ceased to function" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe something that has stopped working or operating. Example: "The old machine has ceased to function after years of use." Alternative expressions include "stopped working" and "no longer operates."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"Our board has ceased to function effectively".

The New York Times

Had the stage machinery ceased to function?

The New York Times - Arts

Harare's two biggest hospitals have almost ceased to function.

The Economist

Harare's main hospitals have virtually ceased to function.

The Economist

When the brain stem has ceased to function?

Encyclopedia Britannica

The organism as a whole had clearly ceased to function.

Encyclopedia Britannica

When the terror attacks of Sept. 11 destroyed the World Trade Center, Evergreen ceased to function.

The New York Times

Amid the upheaval, many of Ukraine's institutions ceased to function, including the Army.

The New Yorker

Somehow this house, this family home that we built up has ceased to function.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Perhaps, then, it should come as no surprise that the old swingometer has ceased to function.

The Guardian - Opinion

The house gets all dark and quiet — it's as if time had ceased to function.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Apply this phrase in professional, academic or journalistic writing to maintain a formal tone.

Common error

Do not use "Ceased to function" to describe a device that is merely paused or in sleep mode. This phrase implies a more permanent or serious termination of activity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "Ceased to function" operates as a formal verb phrase where "ceased" is the main verb and "to function" is an infinitive acting as the direct object. In Ludwig, this structure is frequently seen in serious reporting on institutional collapse or medical states.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Encyclopedias

25%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Science

3%

Wiki

1.5%

Social Media

0.5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "Ceased to function" is a sophisticated and highly versatile phrase for describing the cessation of operation across various domains. Ludwig data demonstrates its prevalence in high-authority sources like The New York Times and The Economist, particularly when discussing systemic collapses or biological death. While it is synonymous with "stopped working", its formal weight makes it ideal for professional and academic contexts. Writers should choose this phrase to convey gravity and finality while avoiding it in overly casual or trivial situations where simpler verbs would suffice.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Stopped working

More common and less formal than the query.

No longer operational

Formal and emphasizes the state of being ready for use.

Failed to operate

Focuses on the failure event rather than the ongoing state.

Became inoperable

A more technical way to describe reaching a state of failure.

Shut down

Often implies a deliberate or systemic stopping of processes.

Broke down

Suggests mechanical failure specifically and is more casual.

Went out of service

Typically used for vehicles, utilities or professional equipment.

Stalled

Usually refers to an engine or a process that has paused unexpectedly.

Collapsed

Suggests a sudden and total failure of a system or structure.

Quit working

Informal and personifies the object that stopped.

FAQs

How do I use "ceased to function" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a system or organ that has stopped working, such as "The old generator has finally "ceased to function"." For more casual contexts, you might prefer "stopped working".

Is "ceased to function" formal?

Yes, it is highly formal. In everyday conversation, people often say "broke down" or "quit" instead.

Can "ceased to function" be used for people?

It is usually applied to organs or body parts in a medical context, like "The brain had "ceased to function"." To describe a person's death more broadly, "passed away" is a common euphemism.

What is the difference between "ceased to function" and "failed"?

"Ceased to function" describes the end state of no longer working, while "failed" can refer to the moment of breakdown or the inability to meet a specific goal.