1. Break down, literally or metaphorically
   "The wall collapsed"; "The business collapsed"; "The roof collapsed";
   - fall in, cave in, give, give way, break, founder
    
2. Fall or become unconscious due to fatigue, illness, or a sudden attack
   "She collapsed from heat exhaustion";
   - break down
    
3. Fold or close up
   "collapse the music stand"
    
4. Fall apart
   "the building collapsed after the explosion";
   - crumble, crumple, tumble, break down
    
5. Cause to burst
   "The high pressure collapsed the pipe";
   - burst
    
6. Suffer a nervous breakdown
   "The pressure of the job caused him to collapse";
   - crack up [informal], crack, break up
    
7. Lose significance, effectiveness, or value
   "The school system is collapsing"; "The stock market collapsed"

1. A natural event caused by something suddenly falling down or caving in
   "the roof is in danger of collapse"; "the collapse of the old star under its own gravity"
    
2. An abrupt failure of function or complete physical exhaustion
   "the commander's collapse demoralized his men";
   - prostration
    
3. A sudden large decline of business or the prices of stocks (especially one that causes additional failures)
   "The economic collapse led to widespread unemployment";
   - crash

Derived forms: collapsed, collapsing, collapses

Type of: alter, change, change integrity, fold, fold up, get, happening, have, illness, malady, modify, natural event, occurrence, occurrent, sickness, suffer, sustain, turn up, unwellness, weaken

Encyclopedia: Collapse