collapse
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to fall or cave in; crumble suddenly.
The roof collapsed and buried the crowd.
-
to be made so that sections or parts can be folded up, as for convenient storage.
This bridge table collapses.
-
to break down; come to nothing; fail.
Despite all their efforts the peace talks collapsed.
-
to fall unconscious or as if unconscious or physically depleted, as from a stroke, heart attack, disease, or exhaustion.
-
Pathology.
-
to sink into extreme weakness.
-
(of lungs) to come into an airless state.
-
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a falling in or together.
Three miners were trapped by the collapse of the tunnel roof.
-
a sudden, complete failure; breakdown.
The bribery scandal brought about the complete collapse of his industrial empire.
verb
-
(intr) to fall down or cave in suddenly
the whole building collapsed
-
(intr) to fail completely
his story collapsed on investigation
-
(intr) to break down or fall down from lack of strength
-
to fold (furniture, etc) compactly or (of furniture, etc) to be designed to fold compactly
noun
-
the act or instance of suddenly falling down, caving in, or crumbling
-
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
-
collapsesimple
-
collapsessimple
-
have collapsedperfect
-
has collapsedperfect
-
am collapsingprogressive
-
are collapsingprogressive
-
is collapsingprogressive
-
have been collapsingperfect progressive
-
has been collapsingperfect progressive
Past
-
collapsedsimple
-
had collapsedperfect
-
was collapsingprogressive
-
were collapsingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Ghost Boys
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
He came of age after the Soviet collapse and built his reputation in a new Ukrainian army that embraced modern methods of war.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The islands have been hit multiple times as the two sides fight over the strategic waterway, which Iran has sealed following the collapse of a preliminary deal aimed at ending the war.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Whereas the poem ends with order restored, the film leaves history caught in an endless cycle of collapse, rebirth and forgetting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Fears first emerged three years ago that Thames Water could collapse and it has recently warned it could run out of cash by November.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Back in March, Cornwall had bought $105 million in credit default swaps on Bear Stearns—that is, they’d made a bet on the collapse of Bear Stearns—from the British bank HSBC.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
It isn’t as if she doesn’t have several plans B. And it gives “Techniquely” a winningly informal bouquet, especially when the jokes fall flat and she collapses, mock-groaning, on the cutting board.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
This detail matters because it collapses the false divide between pleasure and care.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Staff there lost over $1 billion in the collapse, which took place, like many collapses, in a matter of weeks.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
Montalvo's nightmare is part of what industry insiders are calling one of the largest ticketing collapses in history.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
He collapses on the ground and it flies into the abyss.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Measles cases in the U.S. just set a depressing record, making 2026 the worst year for the disease since the Soviet Union collapsed.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
Reza says the sights he saw while searching the collapsed building have not left him: "I couldn't sleep for a few days," he says.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
As the planet heated, forests dominated by trees collapsed.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
The mediators added that it remained unclear whether either side was prepared to accept an end to hostilities after the preliminary peace deal they signed in mid-June collapsed earlier this month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
He walked forward a hundred yards and found another section of collapsed road.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
And the midtempo ballad “The Knife” describes a collapsing relationship as a mortal threat, akin to a dagger jabbed into one’s side or a case of kerosene waiting to be ignited.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
"Because of their structure, these tetrapod-shaped particles have standoffs and form porous networks instead of collapsing into clumps," said Addae.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
Carla Cressy worked as a model from the age of five until she was 17, but kept collapsing on shoots.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
But this one will probably sting even more since the Three Lions were five minutes away from their first final in six decades before collapsing against Argentina.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
But it had also bowed, curving and collapsing a little like a kitchen sponge when you squeeze it between your thumb and fingers.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
