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Glite Dictionary
💥 To fall down 💥 A breakdown 🪑 To fold up
to collapse

to collapse

579 3.9
To fall down suddenly, for example when a person faints or a building breaks
  • verb
  • /kəˈlæps/
translation icon : colapsar
  • The old building began to collapse after years of neglect, sending debris everywhere.
  • the economy collapsed
  • the roof collapsed
  • collapsed under the weight

When the Roman Empire is collapsing, that's gone as well.

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Examples

  • But what if index funds are about to collapse and the party is over?

    Meet Kevin

  • The economy, they said, would collapse under the weight of the new minimum wage.

    Academic text (2011)

  • When the Soviet Union collapsed, the Cold War ended.

    Stanford

  • The whole industry had collapsed.

    Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (2025)

  • Between 2004 and 2010, the forest industry collapsed almost entirely, resulting in mill closures and job losses.

    Academic text (2013)

  • Investors grow skittish, fearing that the dollar might collapse, and bond markets turn on U.S. government paper.

    Academic text (2011)

  • After the scandal, the company's reputation started to collapse, leading to massive layoffs.

  • The bridge suddenly collapsed, causing a major traffic disruption in the city.

Synonyms

to give
vsto collapse
∞ 3.5

To stop being strong and bend or break under pressure

is stronger, meaning a sudden fall or complete failure rather than slight bending
to fail
vsto collapse
  • Specialized
361 5.1

Go out of business and stop operating

is the wider sudden falling or breaking, not only legal or financial endings
to break down
vsto collapse
194 3.2

To stop working because of a problem

is the sudden total falling or failing rather than gradual malfunctioning
to go down
vsto collapse
187 3.4

To stop working for a short time

is the broader sudden fall or failure rather than limited service stoppages
to crumble
vsto collapse
177 3.4

To break into small pieces or become weaker and collapse

is usually sudden falling or failure rather than slow disintegration over time
to fall apart
vsto collapse
155 2.8

To break into pieces or stop working properly

is the sudden total falling or failing rather than gradual breaking apart
to rupture
vsto collapse
95 6.8

To break open suddenly and violently

is more about falling or failing as a whole rather than only bursting apart
to topple
vsto collapse
93 4.1

To fall over or make something fall over, often suddenly when it loses balance

is about total failing or breaking down, not just tipping over physically
to crash
vsto collapse
  • Informal
87 4.8

To fall suddenly in value, especially for prices or markets

is the general sudden falling or breaking across things, not only sharp declines
to fold
vsto collapse
81 5.3

Close a business because it cannot pay its costs

is the general sudden falling or breaking, not only about businesses closing
to go under
vsto collapse
43 4.4

Fail because of money problems

is the general sudden falling or breaking across contexts not only finance
to give way
vsto collapse
35 4.2

Break or fail because of pressure

is the general sudden fall or failure, not only yielding under pressure
to implode
vsto collapse
35 6.7

Collapse inward suddenly because of strong outside pressure

is broader, covering any sudden falling or failing not only inward bursts
to disintegrate
vsto collapse
35 5.8

Fall apart into smaller pieces or stop working together

is the sudden falling or failing rather than gradual loss of unity
to fall in
vsto collapse
30 4.4

To collapse inward, as a roof or organization breaking down

is used for sudden overall falling or failing, not only inward breaks
to tumble
vsto collapse
28 4.4

To fall suddenly in price or value

is the broader falling or breaking, not limited to loss of value or status
to crumple
vsto collapse
22 3.9

Suddenly fall down because something is weak or hit hard

is the broader sudden falling or failure rather than just bending in
to cave in
vsto collapse
22 3.7

Suddenly fall inward because its sides or top become weak, for example a tunnel

is broader, applying to any sudden fall, break, or failure
to go up in smoke
vsto collapse
  • Informal
18 5.5

Plans or hopes suddenly fail and disappear for good

is the general sudden falling or failure, not only total disappearance without trace
to go belly up
vsto collapse
  • Informal
15 5.3

To fail completely and close, especially a business or project

is broader, meaning sudden fall or breakdown in many situations beyond bankruptcy
to come undone
vsto collapse
  • Informal
9 5.3

To begin to fail, fall apart, or lose control

is focused on sudden falling or failing generally, not only losing control
to belly up
vsto collapse
  • Informal
7 7.9

Stop operating because it has run out of money

is the more general sudden falling or failing across objects and systems
to come down
vsto collapse
6 4.2

To stop working, used for a website or system

is the wider idea of sudden fall or failure beyond only service outages
to come apart at the seams
vsto collapse
  • Informal
5 7.2

To fall apart or stop working properly after being stable

is the sudden full fall or failure rather than gradual internal breakdown
to founder
vsto collapse
5 6.8

To fail completely because of problems with plans or projects

is broader, also covering sudden physical falling as well as metaphorical failure
to begin to crumble
vsto collapse
4 4.0

Start to break into pieces or stop working well

is an immediate sudden falling or failure instead of a slow decline
to fold up
vsto collapse
1 4.4

Close a shop or business and stop trading

is broader, covering any sudden failing rather than business shutdowns only
to fall apart like a house of cards
vsto collapse
  • Informal
6.5

Suddenly fail completely because it is weak or badly built

is the broader sudden falling or breaking, not only due to weak construction
to drop through the floor
vsto collapse
6.3

To fall suddenly to a much lower level

is any sudden falling or failure, not only steep decreases in level

Antonyms

to stand
∞ 1.0

To be or put something in an upright position

to succeed
846 2.0

To reach a goal after trying hard

to rise
718 1.0

To move upward into the air, like smoke or mist

Compounds

gravitational collapse
  • Specialized
1 7.9

A star or other space object falls inward because of its own gravity and becomes smaller and denser

How Collapsed

to collapse
579 3.9
to cave in
22 3.7
to buckle
46 4.1
to sag
19 2.8

Surface Forms

collapse infinitive
collapsed past
collapsed past participle
collapsing present participle
collapses third person singular

Etymology

Collapse comes from the Latin collabi, which means 'to fall together' and is made of col- 'together' and labi 'to slip'. The same idea appears in the word lapse, which means a 'slip'. So to collapse is to suddenly fall down or fail, like a person, building, or business dropping in on itself.