collapse

American  

[kuh-laps] / kəˈlæps /

verb (used without object)

collapsed, collapsing

1. to fall or cave in; crumble suddenly.

   The roof collapsed and buried the crowd.

2. to be made so that sections or parts can be folded up, as for convenient storage.

   This bridge table collapses.

3. to break down; come to nothing; fail.

   Despite all their efforts the peace talks collapsed.

4. to fall unconscious or as if unconscious or physically depleted, as from a stroke, heart attack, disease, or exhaustion.

5. Pathology.

   1. to sink into extreme weakness.

   2. (of lungs) to come into an airless state.

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verb (used with object)

collapsed, collapsing

1. to cause to collapse.

   He collapsed the table easily.

noun

1. a falling in or together.

   Three miners were trapped by the collapse of the tunnel roof.

2. a sudden, complete failure; breakdown.

   The bribery scandal brought about the complete collapse of his industrial empire.

collapse British  

/ kəˈlæps /

verb

1. (intr) to fall down or cave in suddenly

   the whole building collapsed

2. (intr) to fail completely

   his story collapsed on investigation

3. (intr) to break down or fall down from lack of strength

4. to fold (furniture, etc) compactly or (of furniture, etc) to be designed to fold compactly

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noun

1. the act or instance of suddenly falling down, caving in, or crumbling

2. 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

• collapsibility
  noun
• collapsible
  adjective
• precollapse
  verb
• uncollapsed
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

Just a few years ago, the industry had looked like it was on the brink of extinction after the collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX exchange.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Many arrived in the years following the collapse of the last government to control the whole of Somalia in 1991.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

The effect of clipping is context collapse maximized to further a hasty impression of a vaguely famous person.

From Slate • May 6, 2026

Around 2,000 foreign national women and children remain living in Roj camp, displaced after the collapse of Islamic State in March 2019, Syrian officials said in March.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

“They collapse the boat, stick it in the bottle, and pull it up again with a string. It’s a trick, not a Wonder.”

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

Related Words

• break
• cave in
• crumple
• disintegrate
• drop
• fail
• faint
• fall down
• founder
• give way
• shatter
• topple
• weaken