# crash

/ˈkɹæʃ/ (US) · /kɹˈæʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/crash
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a vehicle accident

noun · CEFR A2

an accident where a vehicle hits something else.

For teachers: a violent collision involving one or more vehicles, such as cars, planes, or trains.

- The driver was lucky to walk away from the car crash without any injuries.
- Emergency services arrived at the scene of the multi-car crash within minutes to assist those trapped in the wreckage.

### 2. a loud noise

noun · CEFR B1

a sudden, very loud sound like something breaking or hitting the floor.

For teachers: a sudden, loud, and resonant sound, typically produced by a physical impact or the clashing of objects.

- We heard a loud crash in the kitchen and found a broken plate on the floor.
- A sudden crash of thunder startled the hikers, signaling that the storm was much closer than they had anticipated.

### 3. computer failure

noun · CEFR B1

when a computer or a program suddenly stops working.

For teachers: a sudden failure of a software application or operating system that causes it to cease functioning.

- I lost all my unsaved work because of a sudden system crash.
- The server crash was attributed to a memory leak that had gone undetected during the initial beta testing phase.

### 4. economic drop

noun · CEFR B2

a sudden and dangerous drop in the value of a market or business.

For teachers: a sudden and significant decline in the value of stocks or the overall economy.

- Many people lost their savings during the stock market crash.
- Economists warned that the housing bubble might lead to a market crash similar to the one experienced a decade ago.

### 5. to hit something

verb · CEFR A2

to hit something hard by accident, often causing damage.

For teachers: to collide violently with an obstacle or another moving object. Often used intransitively with 'into'.

- The waves crashed against the rocks all night long.
- The stolen vehicle eventually crashed into a concrete barrier after a high-speed pursuit through the city centre.

### 6. to sleep somewhere

verb · CEFR B1 · Informal

to sleep somewhere quickly because you are very tired, or to stay at a friend's house for the night.

For teachers: to go to sleep, often suddenly due to exhaustion, or to stay temporarily at a place not one's own.

- I was so tired after the flight that I crashed on the sofa for three hours.
- Since it was already past midnight, my friend let me crash at his apartment instead of driving home.

### 7. to join without an invite

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to go to a party or event when you were not invited.

For teachers: to attend a social gathering or event without an invitation or prior permission.

- We didn't have tickets, but we managed to crash the wedding reception.
- Several uninvited guests tried to crash the private gallery opening, but security turned them away at the door.

### 8. very fast and intensive

adjective · CEFR B1

done very quickly and with a lot of effort to learn something in a short time.

For teachers: characterised by an intensive and rapid effort to achieve a goal or learn a skill.

- I took a crash course in Italian before my trip to Rome.
- The team underwent a crash training program to familiarise themselves with the new software before the official launch date.

## Examples

- My computer had a crash and I lost my work.
- The stock market crash of 2008 led to a global recession that lasted for several years.
- The software developers struggled to replicate the system crash, which only occurred when multiple high-bandwidth processes were initiated simultaneously under peak server load.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.