Definitions
01an unstable situation
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a time of great danger or trouble, especially in politics or the economy.
n. an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending, often with the possibility of a highly undesirable outcome.
“The government is meeting today to discuss the current economic crisis.”
“The sudden collapse of the national bank triggered a financial crisis that spread rapidly across the global markets.”
Usage
The plural form is 'crises'.
Pitfall
The country is facing many crisises.
The country is facing many crises.
The plural of crisis is crises, pronounced with a long 'ee' sound at the end.
Synonyms
02a personal turning point
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Psychology
n. a very difficult or stressful time in your life.
n. a traumatic or stressful change in a person's life, often requiring significant psychological adjustment.
“He went through a midlife crisis and decided to change his career entirely.”
“After the loss of her business, she experienced a personal crisis that forced her to re-evaluate her long-term goals.”
03medical turning point
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Medicine Technical
n. the moment in a serious illness when a patient either starts to get better or gets much worse.
n. the change in the course of a disease which indicates whether the patient will recover or succumb.
“The doctor said the patient's fever has reached a crisis tonight.”
“The medical team monitored the patient closely, knowing that once the crisis passed, the recovery phase could finally begin.”
Synonyms
04drama or literature
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Theater Academic
n. the most exciting or important part of a story before the ending.
n. the point in a play or story at which the tension reaches its highest point and must be resolved.
“The play reaches its crisis in the second act when the secret is revealed.”
“In classical tragedy, the crisis serves as the structural pivot where the protagonist's fortunes take an irreversible turn toward the final catastrophe.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “crisis” in context.
Adjective
01. current crisis
“The government is under pressure to find a swift resolution to the current crisis.”
adj + noun
02. economic crisis
“The country is struggling to recover from the recent global economic crisis.”
adj + noun
Real-World Examples
“Five years into their hard-line rule, the Taliban find themselves in crisis at home and abroad.” “She thinks politicians and parents are worrying about the wrong things when they point to social media as the primary explanation for a growing mental health crisis among young people.” “DHS further obtained financial records related to the Sunrise Movement, a national non-profit focused on the climate crisis.” Etymology
From Latin crisis, from Ancient Greek κρίσις (krísis, “a separating, power of distinguishing, decision, choice, election, judgment, dispute”), from κρίνω (krínō, “pick out, choose, decide, judge”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/crisis
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0