Crash

Definition

Crash is a noun and verb. As a noun, it refers to a sudden and violent collision, or a rapid decline in value or function. As a verb, it means to collide forcefully, to stop functioning suddenly, or to experience a rapid drop in value or energy.

Parts of Speech

• Noun
• Verb

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA Pronunciation: /kræʃ/
• Respelling: KRASH

British English

• IPA Pronunciation: /kræʃ/
• Respelling: KRASH

Etymology

The word "crash" likely originates from the Middle English "crasschen," meaning "to break or smash," influenced by Old French "crasir." The term has onomatopoeic roots, imitating the sound of a collision or impact.

Derivatives

• Crash-land (verb)
• Crashdown (noun)
• Crashworthy (adjective)
• Crashproof (adjective)
• Crashing (verb, adjective)

Synonyms

• Collision
• Smash
• Plunge

Antonyms

• Avoid
• Ascend
• Recover

Usage

The term "crash" is frequently used to describe accidents or sudden declines, such as "The car crashed into the barrier" or "The stock market experienced a crash." It can also be used in technology to indicate a sudden system failure, as in "The program crashed unexpectedly."

Related Terms

• Accident: An unexpected and often damaging event, especially in vehicles.
• Impact: The forceful striking of one thing against another.
• Failure: The sudden inability of something to function correctly, often in technology.

Detailed Definitions

Noun

• A sudden and forceful collision, typically involving vehicles: Refers to an event where two or more objects collide with strong impact.
  • Example: "The car crash resulted in several injuries."
• A sudden decline in value or performance: Commonly used in finance to indicate a rapid drop in market or stock values.
  • Example: "The stock market experienced a crash in 2008."
• A sudden failure of a system, particularly in computing: Describes an event where a software or hardware component stops functioning abruptly.
  • Example: "The computer crash caused a loss of data."

Verb

• To collide with something suddenly and with force: Describes the act of a physical impact or accident.
  • Example: "The driver crashed into the wall."
• To experience a rapid decline in value, especially in markets: Refers to a sharp drop in financial or economic value.
  • Example: "Shares crashed after the company announced losses."
• To stop functioning suddenly, particularly in computing: Used to describe an abrupt failure of a software or hardware system.
  • Example: "The app crashed before I could save my work."