A crash is when something breaks or collapses suddenly, often with a loud noise. This can happen to objects like cars, planes, or buildings.
When we talk about crashes, we usually mean the sudden impact of one thing hitting another. Imagine you're driving your car and it smashes into a wall - that's an example of a crash. Crashes also happen in other areas, like sports: if two athletes collide on the field during a game, they might both go down with a crash.
How common is "crash"?
Word crash is considered uncommon in modern English. It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.
Definitions
noun
A sudden, intense, loud sound, as made for example by cymbals.
Example: After the lightning came the crash of thunder.
An automobile, airplane, or other vehicle accident.
Example: Nobody survived the plane crash
A malfunction of computer software or hardware which causes it to shut down or become partially or totally inoperable.
Example: My computer had a crash so I had to reboot it.
A sudden large decline of business or the prices of stocks (especially one that causes additional failures).
Example: the stock market crash
A comedown from a drug.
(collective) A group of rhinoceroses.
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abend
verb
To collide with something destructively, fall or come down violently.
To severely damage or destroy something by causing it to collide with something else.
Example: I'm sorry for crashing the bike into a wall. I'll pay for repairs.
(via gatecrash) To attend a social event without invitation, usually with unfavorable intentions.
Example: We weren't invited to the party so we decided to crash it.
To accelerate a project or a task or its schedule by devoting more resources to it.
To make or experience informal temporary living arrangements, especially overnight.
Example: Hey dude, can I crash at your pad?
To give, as a favor.
To lie down for a long rest, sleep or nap, as from tiredness or exhaustion.
(hardware) To terminate extraordinarily.
Example: If the system crashes again, we'll have it fixed in the computer shop.
(hardware) To cause to terminate extraordinarily.
Example: Double-clicking this icon crashes the desktop.
To experience a period of depression and/or lethargy after a period of euphoria, as after the euphoric effect of a psychotropic drug has dissipated.
To hit or strike with force
(of a patient's condition) To take a sudden and severe turn for the worse; to rapidly deteriorate.
