collapse meaning
collapse :
a sudden fall, failure
noun
▪ The bridge's collapse was unexpected.
▪ The bridge's sudden fall was a surprise.
▪ The company faced a financial collapse.
▪ The company had a sudden failure with money.
paraphrasing
▪ downfall – a fall from a high position
▪ failure – not succeeding
collapse :
to fall down, to fail suddenly
verb
▪ The building collapsed after the storm.
▪ The building fell down after the storm.
▪ She collapsed from exhaustion.
▪ She fell down because she was very tired.
paraphrasing
▪ fall – to go down
▪ crumble – to break into pieces
Pronunciation
collapse [kəˈlæps]
The stress is on 'lapse' and sounds like 'kuh-laps'.
Common phrases and grammar about collapse
collapse - Common meaning
noun
a sudden fall, failure
verb
to fall down, to fail suddenly
Part of Speech Changes for "collapse"
▪ collapsible (adjective) – can be folded or made smaller
▪ collapsed (adjective) – fallen down or failed
Common Expressions with "collapse"
▪ building collapse – when a building falls down
▪ financial collapse – when money systems fail
▪ collapse under pressure – to fail when stressed
▪ collapse in value – to lose worth suddenly
Important examples of collapse in TOEIC
Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test
In TOEIC vocabulary questions, collapse often refers to a sudden failure or fall in business or structures.
Example of a confusing word: collect (to gather)
Grammar examples from the TOEIC test
Collapse is used as both a noun and a verb, often requiring identification of its function in a sentence.
collapse
Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC
collapse like a house of cards
means 'to fall apart easily'.
collapse in a heap
means 'to fall down suddenly and completely'.
Differences between similar words and collapse
collapse
,
downfall
differences
Collapse refers to a sudden fall or failure, while downfall often refers to a gradual decline.
collapse
,
failure
differences
Collapse implies a sudden event, while failure can be more gradual or expected.
Words with the same origin as collapse
The origin of collapse
collapse comes from the Latin 'collapsus', meaning 'to fall together'.
Word structure
It has the prefix col (together), root laps (to slip), and means 'to slip together'.
Words with the same origin
The root of collapse is laps (to slip). Words with the same root include lapse (to fall away) and elapse (to pass by).
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