# crisis

/ˈkɹaɪsəs/ (US) · /kɹˈaɪsɪs/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. an unstable situation

noun · CEFR B2

a time of great danger or trouble, especially in politics or the economy.

For teachers: 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'.

### 2. a personal turning point

noun · CEFR B2

a very difficult or stressful time in your life.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. medical turning point

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the moment in a serious illness when a patient either starts to get better or gets much worse.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. drama or literature

noun · CEFR C2 · Academic

the most exciting or important part of a story before the ending.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The government is working hard to solve the economic crisis.
- The hospital staff managed the sudden health crisis with professional calm despite the shortage of available beds.
- Historians often debate whether the mid-century political crisis was an inevitable result of systemic failure or a consequence of poor leadership during a single week of tension.

---

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.