1. Exert oneself to the utmost, try extremely hard, as in
I've been breaking my ass to finish early. This expression is considered vulgar slang; both
ass, for backside or buttocks, and
balls, for male genitals, are rude;
butt, for buttocks, and
chops, for either the mouth or the legs, are informal and emphatic but not quite as offensive. For a more polite synonym, see
break one's back. [
Slang; first half of 1900s]