collapse
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to fall down suddenly because of a lack of strength or support.
v.to fall down or cave in suddenly due to structural failure or lack of support.
Simple“The old wooden bridge collapsed after the heavy rain flooded the river.”
In context“The abandoned warehouse finally collapsed under the weight of the winter snow, leaving nothing but a pile of twisted metal and broken bricks.”
UsageOften used with 'under' to describe the cause of the failure.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to stop working or fail completely and suddenly.
v.to cease to function or lose all value due to a sudden breakdown or failure.
Simple“The peace talks collapsed when neither side could agree on the new borders.”
In context“Economists warned that the national currency might collapse if the government failed to address the rising inflation rates.”
Teacher's tipCommonly used in business and political contexts to describe systems or negotiations.
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to fall down because you are very sick, tired, or hurt.
v.to fall down suddenly as a result of a physical health crisis, exhaustion, or loss of consciousness.
Simple“The runner collapsed just as she crossed the finish line of the marathon.”
In context“He collapsed from heat exhaustion after working in the fields for ten hours without a break.”
UsageIntransitive; does not take a direct object.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to hide a list of items on a computer screen to save space.
v.to hide the subentries of a hierarchical list or directory tree in a user interface.
Simple“You can collapse the folder to see more files on your screen.”
In context“The developer added a button to collapse all nested comments, making the long thread much easier for users to navigate.”
UsageTransitive; takes the name of the list or folder as an object.
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to fold something so that it becomes small and easy to carry.
v.to fold into a more compact shape for storage or transport.
Simple“This camping chair is great because it collapses and fits into a small bag.”
In context“The stroller features a lightweight frame that collapses with one hand, making it ideal for parents using public transport.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a sudden event where something falls down or fails completely.
n.a sudden failure of an institution, system, or physical structure.
Simple“The collapse of the stock market caused many people to lose their savings.”
In context“The sudden collapse of the building led to a massive investigation into the quality of the construction materials used.”
UsageOften followed by 'of' plus a noun phrase.
Usage collapsed buildings · collapsed building
“But he added it was "simply not possible to prevent all offenders from being released early without the prison system collapsing".”
“In 2023, 41 workers were rescued after being trapped for 17 days inside a tunnel that collapsed in Uttarakhand.”
From Latin collāpsus (past participle of collābor).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.