Collapsing
/kəˈlæpsɪŋ/
verbIntermediateCommonGeneral
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
To fall down or inward suddenly; to break down or fail suddenly.
/kəˈlæpsɪŋ/
verbnegativeIntermediate
General
To fall down or inward suddenly
The bridge was collapsing after the earthquake.
💡 Simply: Think of a building falling down – that's collapsing! It's when something suddenly breaks down or falls apart.
👶 For kids: When something falls down all at once.
More Examples
2
The tent started collapsing in the strong wind.
How It's Used
Construction
"The old building was collapsing under its own weight."
Medical
"The patient's lungs were collapsing."
From the verb "collapse", ultimately from Latin "collapsus", past participle of "collapsus", meaning "fallen together".
The word has been used in a similar sense for centuries, often referring to the sudden downfall of structures or regimes.
Memory tip
Imagine a collapsing soufflé – a sudden, dramatic fall.
Practice
Base: collapse
collapsinggcolapseingcollasping
Usage
30%Spoken
70%Written