# Crises

/ˈkɹaɪsiz/ (US) · /kɹˈaɪsiːz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/crises
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. multiple difficult times

noun · CEFR B2

more than one crisis; several times of great danger or trouble that need quick action.

For teachers: the plural of 'crisis', referring to multiple events or periods characterized by extreme instability or danger.

- The government had to deal with several economic crises during the decade.
- The administration was forced to manage overlapping humanitarian crises, stretching their resources and testing their diplomatic resolve.

Usage: The word is pronounced 'cry-seez', unlike the singular 'cry-sis'.

Teaching tip: Learners often struggle with the pronunciation change from singular /sɪs/ to plural /siːz/. Point out that this follows the pattern of other Greek-origin words like 'analyses' and 'hypotheses'.

## Examples

- The government is dealing with several economic crises at once.
- After the flood and the power outage, the city council had to manage two major crises in a single week.
- Historians often study how successive political crises can weaken the foundations of a democracy over several decades, leading to a total collapse of public trust in the system.

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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.