Collapse

Meaning

Collapse means to fall down suddenly or lose strength, stability, or structure. It can also describe the sudden failure of a system, organization, relationship, or plan.

Pronunciation

/kəˈlæps/

Word Forms

• Base form: collapse
• Past tense: collapsed
• Past participle: collapsed
• Present participle: collapsing
• Noun: collapse

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

• collapse suddenly — to fall or fail unexpectedly.
• collapse under pressure — to lose the ability to cope with difficult circumstances.
• economic collapse — a sudden and serious failure of an economy.
• collapse of a system — the failure of a system to continue functioning.
• collapse of a building — the sudden falling down of a structure.
• collapse into someone's arms — to fall into someone's arms because of exhaustion, weakness, or strong emotion.

Example Sentences

• The old building collapsed after the earthquake.
• She collapsed from exhaustion after working for several hours without a break.
• The negotiations collapsed after both sides refused to compromise.
• The roof began to collapse under the weight of the snow.
• His carefully constructed plan collapsed within a matter of days.

Literary Example

Example:

“It seemed to me that the house would collapse before I could escape, that the heavens would fall upon my head.”

— Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

Here, collapse means to fall down suddenly or completely. Conrad uses the word literally in describing the narrator's perception of the house, while the surrounding imagery of the heavens falling also intensifies the character's sense of fear and instability.

Story Workshop

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Related Words

Continue exploring words that begin with the letter C.

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