collapse
Americanverb (used without object)
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collapses,
present (3rd person singular)
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collapsed,
past participle, past
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collapsing
present participle
-
to fall or cave in; crumble suddenly.
The roof collapsed and buried the crowd.
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to be made so that sections or parts can be folded up, as for convenient storage.
This bridge table collapses.
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to break down; come to nothing; fail.
Despite all their efforts the peace talks collapsed.
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to fall unconscious or as if unconscious or physically depleted, as from a stroke, heart attack, disease, or exhaustion.
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Pathology.
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to sink into extreme weakness.
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(of lungs) to come into an airless state.
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verb (used with object)
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collapses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
collapsed,
past participle, past
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collapsing
present participle
noun
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collapses
plural
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a falling in or together.
Three miners were trapped by the collapse of the tunnel roof.
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a sudden, complete failure; breakdown.
The bribery scandal brought about the complete collapse of his industrial empire.
verb
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(intr) to fall down or cave in suddenly
the whole building collapsed
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(intr) to fail completely
his story collapsed on investigation
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(intr) to break down or fall down from lack of strength
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to fold (furniture, etc) compactly or (of furniture, etc) to be designed to fold compactly
noun
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the act or instance of suddenly falling down, caving in, or crumbling
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a sudden failure or breakdown
Usage
What does collapse mean? Collapse means to break apart suddenly, as in The rickety bridge collapsed into the river. If something collapses, it falls apart or caves in quickly and suddenly. Usually, something collapses because it’s unable to support its own weight. Collapse can also be used figuratively to mean to fail or break down, as in The party quickly collapsed when two groups started fighting with each other. Collapse can also mean to fall unconscious or to pass out, as in The marathon runner collapsed due to heat stroke. Collapse can also be used as a noun in any of these senses, as in She determined that the coins dated back to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Example: I had to rebuild my house of cards after the wobbly table caused it to collapse.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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collapsesimple
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collapsessimple
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have collapsedperfect
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has collapsedperfect
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am collapsingprogressive
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are collapsingprogressive
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is collapsingprogressive
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have been collapsingperfect progressive
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has been collapsingperfect progressive
Past
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collapsedsimple
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had collapsedperfect
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was collapsingprogressive
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were collapsingprogressive
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had been collapsingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of collapse
First recorded in 1725–35; from Latin collāpsus “fallen together,” past participle of collābī “to fall down, fall together, fall into ruins,” from col- col- 1 + lābī “to fall, slide, make a mistake”
Explanation
To collapse means to fall over, cave in, or totally crumple. After finding out that the stock market has collapsed and your investments along with it, you'd probably collapse to the ground and sob uncontrollably. From the Latin collapsus, meaning “fall together," comes our English collapse, a word that functions as both noun and verb. Empires collapse after revolutions, and your dog will eventually collapse from exhaustion if he keeps chasing his tail in circles. But if a company falls apart after the boss retires, or you have a total breakdown cramming for exams, that's a kind of collapse, too.
Vocabulary lists containing collapse
The Great Depression and The New Deal
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"A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Katja Hoyer’s “Weimar” is a powerful and detailed reconstruction of a “stark and terrifying example of a collapsed democracy” and how that collapse consumed the conscience of a particular city.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Investors worried about a broader stock market collapse, fear not.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
President Asif Ali Zardari described the roof collapse as a "heartbreaking tragedy".
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
The researchers say the scale of the demographic collapse has important implications for understanding intergenerational trauma, persistent disadvantage, and the development of policies that better support Indigenous communities.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
“Do you want him to collapse inside of himself?”
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
A humanoid’s frantic attempts to stay upright—arms flailing, legs skittering—bears an uncanny resemblance to the choreographed collapses of Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton.
From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026
That means that if the building’s elevator collapses or there is a fire that severely damages the building, homeowners are on the hook to pay for the repairs.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
It’s one of the most epic collapses for a league champion in MLS history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
"Climate change makes all this more likely," geoscientist Jakob Steiner said, while noting that mountain collapses are also part of natural geological processes.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
The paper crumbles and the ocean of ink fades away, leaving only a circle of chairs inside a striped tent as Marco collapses to the floor.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
A man named Sohail told AFP that "everyone began screaming in panic" when his niece, who had escaped the building, arrived home to tell them it had collapsed.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
After Nazi bombs destroyed the stairwell in the Shulevitzes’ apartment building in Warsaw, the only way to reach the ground floor was by crossing boards placed across collapsed parts of the staircase.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
The lie collapsed with almost embarrassing speed, and the people who spread it now face potential legal exposure.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026
It appears that when the roof of the upper-floor classroom collapsed, the falling rubble crashed through classrooms below, bringing their ceilings down too.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Meanwhile, Seven and Thorn ran into the protective magical safety of the Twilight Square gazebo and nearly collapsed onto the wooden floor.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
"It's not in danger of collapsing externally, but internally there is no roof," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
"Protection cannot be reduced indefinitely without systems collapsing," said Dominique Hyde, UNHCR's external relations chief.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Communities across all states bordering Wyoming face darkness, breathing difficulties and roofs collapsing under accumulated ash.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
The newspaper said the parties have discussed compromises, including agreeing to keep Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. film studios separate for a period of time rather than immediately collapsing them into one unit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Other than the crackle of the fire and the occasional collapsing wall or floor, the night was quiet.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
