collapse

1 of 2

verb

col·​lapse kə-ˈlaps How to pronounce collapse (audio)
collapsed; collapsing

intransitive verb

1
: to fall or shrink together abruptly and completely : fall into a jumbled or flattened mass through the force of external pressure
a blood vessel that collapsed
2
: to break down completely : disintegrate
… his case had collapsed in a mass of legal wreckage …Erle Stanley Gardner
3
: to cave or fall in or give way
The bridge collapsed.
4
: to suddenly lose force, significance, effectiveness, or worth
fears that the currency may collapse
5
: to break down in vital energy, stamina, or self-control through exhaustion or disease
She came home from work and collapsed on the sofa.
especially : to fall helpless or unconscious
He collapsed on stage during the performance.
6
: to fold down into a more compact shape
a chair that collapses
a collapsing golf club that can fit into a travel bag

transitive verb

1
: to cause to collapse
buildings collapsed by an earthquake
He knelt for a long time, first watching the bay below, then collapsing the spyglass and settling his hands on his legs in a thoughtful pose.Heather Dunboine
2
: condense
collapse several stories into one

collapse

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a breakdown in vital energy, strength, or stamina
suffered a mental collapse
b
: a state of extreme prostration and physical depression (as from circulatory failure or great loss of body fluids)
c
: an airless state of all or part of a lung originating spontaneously or induced surgically
2
: the act or action of collapsing
the cutting of many tent ropes, the collapse of the canvasRudyard Kipling
3
: a sudden failure : breakdown, ruin
the collapse of the government
4
: a sudden loss of force, value, or effect
the collapse of respect for ancient law and customL. S. B. Leakey

Examples of collapse in a Sentence

Verb The roof collapsed under a heavy load of snow. The chair he was sitting in collapsed. He collapsed on stage during the performance and had to be rushed to the hospital. She came home from work and collapsed on the sofa. The crying child ran to his mother and collapsed in her arms. The civilization collapsed for reasons that are still unknown. He warned that such measures could cause the economy to collapse. Noun The structure is in danger of collapse. She was on the verge of collapse. The country has endured civil war and economic collapse.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
As Venus and Uranus clash, new partnerships form and others collapse. USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024 To obtain the copper ore, Resolution will use a method known as block cave mining, in which tunnels are drilled beneath the ore body, and then collapsed, leaving the ore to be moved to a crushing facility. Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2024 Everything to Know About Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 As the trailer concludes, fans get a peek at the season 19 cliffhanger that showed Dr. Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) collapsing in surgery while preparing to operate on Sam Sutton (Sam Page). Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 Then, in the 1990s, as Chinese leaders began allowing private companies to compete with the state-run behemoths, that idyll collapsed. Vivian Wang, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Entertainment & Arts Full coverage: The fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the ‘Rust’ set Feb. 26, 2024 Halls said that after the gun fired, Hutchins, who was just 3 feet away from him, collapsed to the floor. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 When those are compromised or collapse, Black communities bear the brunt of the negative impacts. Monica Sanders, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Washington opened the fourth quarter on a 19-8 run, threatening to repeat the type of Warriors collapse that has cropped up often this season. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024 In 2021, the beachfront condo building collapsed and killed 98 people. Sydney Lake, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
The West Bank’s already fragile economy is on the verge of collapse. Loveday Morris, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 Related Articles Pac-12 collapse: Kliavkoff’s failed tenure ends with radio silence, no signs of remorse CFP debate: ACC, B12 should accept B10, SEC push for 3-3-2-2 format Crow addressed the issue of university support, as well, in his email. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 The season 6 finale of Station 19 was incredibly dramatic, including the death of Michael Dixon, and fans were left still wondering who all survived the collapse of the floor at the Firefighters Ball. Stephanie Kaloi, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Much attention has been on smaller regional banks after last year’s crisis in the industry led to the collapses of several lenders. Zimo Zhong, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Democrats who believe that Biden has lost his luster together with anti-Trump Republicans are bracing for a redux in 2024 with the Haley campaign on the verge of collapse. Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Those stresses in the most vulnerable parts of the rainforest could eventually drive the entire forest ecosystem past a tipping point that would trigger a forest-wide collapse, researchers said. Cara Buckley, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 The dramatic collapse of agriculture and food production in the past few years has made matters worse, increasing fears about hunger and malnutrition on the island. Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 That came after the first pounding storm of the season led to the partial collapse of the tower, exposing the wood that holds up the golden dome. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'collapse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Latin collapsus, past participle of collabi, from com- + labi to fall, slide — more at sleep

First Known Use

Verb

1620, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of collapse was in 1620

Dictionary Entries Near collapse

Cite this Entry

“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collapse. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

collapse

1 of 2 verb
col·​lapse kə-ˈlaps How to pronounce collapse (audio)
collapsed; collapsing
1
: to fall or shrink together abruptly
a blood vessel that collapsed
2
: to break down completely
the opponent's resistance collapsed
3
: to cave or fall in or give way
the tunnel collapsed
4
: to suddenly lose value or effectiveness
the country's currency collapsed
5
: to break down physically or mentally because of exhaustion or disease
6
: to fold together
a chair that collapses
collapsible adjective

collapse

2 of 2 noun
: the act or an instance of collapsing : breakdown

Medical Definition

collapse

1 of 2 verb
col·​lapse kə-ˈlaps How to pronounce collapse (audio)
collapsed; collapsing

intransitive verb

1
: to fall or shrink together abruptly and completely : fall into a jumbled or flattened mass through the force of external pressure
a blood vessel that collapsed
2
: to break down in vital energy, stamina, or self-control through exhaustion or disease
especially : to fall helpless or unconscious

transitive verb

: to cause to collapse
collapsing an infected lung
collapsibility noun
collapsible adjective

collapse

2 of 2 noun
1
: a breakdown in vital energy, strength, or stamina : complete sudden enervation
the daughter's mental collapse through mounting frustrationLeslie Rees
2
: a state of extreme prostration and physical depression resulting from circulatory failure, great loss of body fluids, or heart disease and occurring terminally in diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, and pneumonia
3
: an airless state of a lung of spontaneous origin or induced surgically see atelectasis
4
: an abnormal falling together of the walls of an organ
collapse of blood vessels

More from Merriam-Webster on collapse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!