crackup: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal
Quick answer
What does “crackup” mean?
A sudden mental or emotional breakdown.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A sudden mental or emotional breakdown; a collapse of psychological stability.
A complete failure or collapse of something; can also informally refer to a humorous incident or joke (though this is often spelled 'crack-up').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage and meaning are largely identical. Hyphenation preference is slightly more common in British English ('crack-up'), but the solid form is accepted in both.
Connotations
In both varieties, the primary connotation is negative (mental collapse, failure). The secondary humorous meaning is equally informal in both.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English media and informal discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “crackup” in a Sentence
[Subject] had a crackup.[Subject] suffered a crackup after [event].[Event] led to [possessor]'s crackup.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “crackup” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He's going to crack up if he doesn't take a holiday.
- The comedian's routine had us all cracking up.
American English
- She cracked up after working 80-hour weeks for months.
- That video is so funny, it cracks me up every time.
adverb
British English
- He laughed crack-up loudly. (Not standard; 'uproariously' is used instead)
American English
- She was crack-up funny. (Non-standard; 'hilariously' is used instead)
adjective
British English
- It was a crack-up comedy night at the local club. (Informal, rare as adjective)
American English
- He told a crack-up story about his road trip. (Informal, rare as adjective)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Informally used to describe a market collapse or a company's sudden failure (e.g., 'the dot-com crackup').
Academic
Rare in formal academic writing; appears in psychology or sociology texts in informal contexts.
Everyday
Common in informal conversation about stress, mental health, or humorous incidents.
Technical
Not a technical term in psychology; 'nervous breakdown' or specific diagnoses are preferred.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “crackup”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “crackup”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “crackup”
- Confusing 'crackup' (noun) with 'crack up' (phrasal verb, e.g., 'He made me crack up').
- Using it in overly formal contexts.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is acceptable as one word ('crackup') or hyphenated ('crack-up'), especially for the 'breakdown' meaning. The phrasal verb is always two words: 'crack up'.
They are largely synonymous in the 'mental collapse' sense, but 'crackup' is more informal and colloquial. 'Breakdown' can be used in more technical contexts (e.g., 'nervous breakdown').
Yes, informally it can mean 'something extremely funny' (e.g., 'The party was a real crack-up!'). Context and often hyphenation help distinguish this from the negative meaning.
No. It is an informal, layperson's term. In psychology and medicine, specific diagnoses like 'major depressive episode' or 'acute stress reaction' are used.
A sudden mental or emotional breakdown.
Crackup is usually informal in register.
Crackup: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkrækʌp/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkrækˌəp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on the verge of a crackup”
- “heading for a crackup”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a ceramic pot (your mind) developing a loud CRACK and falling UP into pieces = CRACKUP.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE MIND IS A FRAGILE OBJECT (that can crack under pressure).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'crackup' used CORRECTLY?