crisis
C1Formal to Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A time of intense difficulty, danger, or instability; a crucial turning point requiring a decisive change.
A stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events is determined; a sudden change leading to an acute phase of a disease.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a short, intense period of pressure, danger, or decision, often with an outcome that determines future events. Plural is 'crises'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant meaning differences. Minor spelling preference: 'crisis' is universally standard.
Connotations
Slightly more formal/political in UK usage (e.g., 'crisis talks'); more common in business/media in US usage.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in US news media; similar in academic/formal contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be in crisisgo into crisiscrisis over sthcrisis in sthcrisis for sb/sthcrisis of confidence/leadershipVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “midlife crisis”
- “crisis of conscience”
- “crisis point”
- “to weather a crisis”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to situations threatening company stability (e.g., liquidity crisis, PR crisis).
Academic
Used in psychology, political science, medicine (e.g., identity crisis, constitutional crisis, hypertensive crisis).
Everyday
Common in news (cost-of-living crisis), personal situations (family crisis).
Technical
Specific in medicine (adrenal crisis), engineering (system crisis point).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The government is **crisis-managing** the situation poorly.
- They had to **crisis-train** their staff.
American English
- The team is **crisis-managing** the PR fallout.
- She's skilled at **crisis-communications**.
adjective
British English
- They held **crisis talks** throughout the night.
- A **crisis-hit** industry pleaded for aid.
American English
- They activated the **crisis management** team.
- The **crisis-level** alert was issued.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- There is a water crisis in the city.
- Her illness was a family crisis.
- The company faced a financial crisis last year.
- The government is dealing with an energy crisis.
- The sudden resignation of the minister triggered a political crisis.
- Negotiations have reached a crisis point with no agreement in sight.
- The scandal precipitated a profound crisis of confidence in the banking sector.
- His research focuses on paradigm shifts during periods of intellectual crisis.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'CRITICAL SISter' situation - a moment so critical it needs immediate, decisive action.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRISIS IS A STORM (weather the crisis, crisis blows over, crisis hits), CRISIS IS A DISEASE (crisis symptoms, crisis fever, crisis diagnosis).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'кризис' for minor, ongoing difficulties; English 'crisis' is more acute and severe.
- Do not translate 'crisis of confidence' literally; it's an idiom for a severe loss of trust.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'crisis' as a countable noun incorrectly: 'He had a crisis' (OK) vs 'He had crisis' (incorrect).
- Incorrect plural: 'crisises' (correct: 'crises').
- Overuse for minor problems.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes a 'crisis'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
An 'emergency' is a sudden, urgent event requiring immediate action (e.g., a fire). A 'crisis' is a broader period of intense difficulty or instability, often with wider consequences and a need for decisive change (e.g., an economic crisis).
Yes, commonly. For example, 'midlife crisis', 'personal crisis', or 'family crisis' are standard uses.
Primarily, yes, as it denotes danger or difficulty. However, it can imply a crucial turning point that may lead to positive change if managed well (e.g., 'a crisis that forced necessary reforms').
It is pronounced /ˈkraɪsiːz/ (KRY-seez), with a long 'ee' sound in the second syllable.