ENGLISH
REFERENCE

crash

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈkɹæʃ// UK //kɹˈæʃ// crash General-service Informal Slang

n. a sudden failure of a computer or a program that makes it stop working. It can also mean a sudden, large drop in the value of stocks or a market.

n. a sudden failure of a software application or operating system; also used to describe a rapid and significant decline in market prices or economic stability.


SIMPLE

My computer had a crash and I lost my work.

CONTEXTUAL

The stock market crash of 2008 led to a global recession that lasted for several years.

COMPLEX

The software developers struggled to replicate the system crash, which only occurred when multiple high-bandwidth processes were initiated simultaneously under peak server load.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English crasshen, crasschen, craschen (“to break into pieces”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from a variant of earlier crasken, from crasen (“to break”) + -k (formative suffix); or from earlier craskien, *craksien, a variant of craken (“to crack, break open”) (for form development compare break, brask, brash).

Etymology 2

Uncertain; perhaps compare Russian крашени́на (krašenína, “coarse linen”).

Usage

Commonly used with the verb 'to have' for computers or 'to suffer' for markets.

Idioms2 entries

© 2026 English Reference