Collapse Kəˈlæps Verge State Sudden Peace Talks Mental/Nervous

• the collapse of law and order in the area
• the peace talks were on the verge of collapse.
• the walls were strengthened to protect them from collapse.
• a state of mental/nervous collapse

collapse

1. a sudden failure of something, such as an institution, a business or a course of action
• the collapse of law and order in the area
• The peace talks were on the verge of collapse.
2. the action of a building suddenly falling
• The walls were strengthened to protect them from collapse.
3. a medical condition when a person suddenly becomes very ill/sick, or when somebody falls because they are ill/sick or weak
• a state of mental/nervous collapse
• She was taken to hospital after her collapse at work.
4. a sudden fall in value
• the collapse of share prices/the dollar/the market

Extra Examples

• He was in a state of mental and physical collapse.
• She was on the verge of nervous collapse.
• The war has led to the collapse of agriculture in the area.
• a collapse into anarchy
• his collapse from exhaustion
• the sudden collapse of the bridge
• the sudden economic collapse of 2001
• He charted the villagers’ collapse into poverty.
• The administration moved to prevent the collapse of the privatized national airline.
• The peace talks were on the verge of collapse.
• Their downfall came with the financial collapse of the Canary Wharf project.
• They were successful in bringing about the collapse of the Communist regime.
• a state of mental/nervous collapse
• the collapse of share prices/the dollar/the market

Word Origin

• early 17th cent. (as collapsed): from medical Latin collapsus, past participle of collabi, from col- ‘together’ + labi ‘to slip’.