meltdown: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal to formal, depending on context (colloquial for emotions; formal for finance/tech).
Quick answer
What does “meltdown” mean?
A disastrous collapse, failure, or breakdown, typically occurring rapidly and chaotically.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A disastrous collapse, failure, or breakdown, typically occurring rapidly and chaotically.
Originally from nuclear physics (overheating reactor core); now used for emotional outbursts (tantrums), financial crises, and technological failures.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Both use all senses equally.
Connotations
Identical connotations of disaster and loss of control.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties. The emotional sense may be slightly more prevalent in US media.
Grammar
How to Use “meltdown” in a Sentence
[Subject] experienced/had/suffered a meltdown.[Subject] triggered/caused a meltdown in [object].[Subject] is on the verge of a meltdown.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “meltdown” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The reactor core could theoretically melt down.
- After the news, he just melted down completely.
American English
- The market is melting down as we speak.
- She melted down during the final exam.
adverb
British English
- The system failed meltdown-fast.
American English
- Things went meltdown-quick.
adjective
British English
- They faced a meltdown scenario.
- The post-meltdown analysis was damning.
American English
- We're in a meltdown situation here.
- The meltdown protocol was initiated.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to a sudden, catastrophic market collapse or corporate failure. (e.g., 'The hedge fund's losses triggered a market meltdown.')
Academic
Used in sociology, economics, and engineering to describe systemic failures. (e.g., 'The study analysed the regulatory causes of the financial meltdown.')
Everyday
Most commonly describes an emotional outburst, especially in children or stressed adults. (e.g., 'My toddler had a complete meltdown in the supermarket.')
Technical
Primarily in nuclear engineering for reactor core overheating; also in computing for CPU overheating. (e.g., 'The fail-safes are designed to prevent a core meltdown.')
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “meltdown”
- Using 'meltdown' for a simple mistake or minor problem (it implies scale and disaster).
- Confusing with 'breakdown' (which can be more mechanical or gradual).
- Misspelling as 'melt down' (verb phrase) when the noun is needed.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, its primary technical meaning is nuclear, but its metaphorical uses (emotional, financial) are now far more common in everyday language.
Yes, but less common. The phrasal verb 'melt down' (to dissolve metal) exists, and the newer informal verb 'to melt down' means to have an emotional collapse.
A meltdown implies a rapid, chaotic, often public collapse with catastrophic results. A breakdown can be slower, more private, and mechanical (e.g., car breakdown) or mental (nervous breakdown).
Yes, it's a very strong collocation used for emphasis, reinforcing the totality of the failure.
A disastrous collapse, failure, or breakdown, typically occurring rapidly and chaotically.
Meltdown is usually informal to formal, depending on context (colloquial for emotions; formal for finance/tech). in register.
Meltdown: in British English it is pronounced /ˈmɛltdaʊn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈmɛltˌdaʊn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Go into meltdown”
- “Head for a meltdown”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of an ice sculpture in a hot room—it loses its structure and collapses into a puddle. A 'meltdown' is when something (systems, emotions, markets) loses its form and collapses.
Conceptual Metaphor
FAILURE IS OVERHEATING / COLLAPSE IS MELTING. Structure solid → liquid (chaos). Control solid → loss of control liquid.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'meltdown' LEAST appropriate?