/ kræʃ; NAmE / noun , verb , adjective
■ noun
VEHICLE ACCIDENT
1.
( NAmE also wreck ) an accident in which a vehicle hits sth, for example another vehicle, usually causing damage and often injuring or killing the passengers :
A girl was killed yesterday in a crash involving a stolen car.
a car / plane crash
LOUD NOISE
2.
[ usually sing. ] a sudden loud noise made, for example, by sth falling or breaking :
The tree fell with a great crash.
The first distant crash of thunder shook the air.
IN FINANCE / BUSINESS
3.
a sudden serious fall in the price or value of sth; the occasion when a business, etc. fails
SYN collapse :
the 1987 stock market crash
COMPUTING
4.
a sudden failure of a machine or system, especially of a computer or computer system
■ verb
OF VEHICLE
1.
crash (sth) (into sth) if a vehicle crashes or the driver crashes it, it hits an object or another vehicle, causing damage :
[ v ]
I was terrified that the plane would crash.
We're going to crash, aren't we?
A truck went out of control and crashed into the back of a bus.
[ vn ]
He crashed his car into a wall.
HIT HARD / LOUD NOISE
2.
to hit sth hard while moving, causing noise and/or damage; to make sth hit sb/sth in this way :
[ v + adv. / prep. ]
A brick crashed through the window.
With a sweep of his hand he sent the glasses crashing to the floor.
[ v - adj ]
The door crashed open.
[ vn - adj ]
She stormed out of the room and crashed the door shut behind her.
3.
[ v ] to make a loud noise :
Thunder crashed overhead.
IN FINANCE / BUSINESS
4.
[ v ] ( of prices, a business, shares, etc. ) to lose value or fail suddenly and quickly :
Share prices crashed to an all-time low yesterday.
The company crashed with debts of £50 million.
COMPUTING
5.
if a computer crashes or you crash a computer, it stops working suddenly :
[ v ]
Files can be lost if the system suddenly crashes.
[also vn ]
PARTY
6.
[ vn ] ( informal ) = gatecrash
IN SPORT
7.
[ v , usually + adv. / prep. ] ( especially BrE ) to lose very badly in a sports game :
The team crashed to their worst defeat this season.
SLEEP
8.
[ v ] crash (out) ( informal ) to fall asleep; to sleep somewhere you do not usually sleep :
I was so tired I crashed out on the sofa.
I've come to crash on your floor for a couple of nights.
MEDICAL
9.
[ v ] if sb crashes , their heart stops beating
•
IDIOMS
- a crashing bore
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- crash out (of sth)
■ adjective
[ only before noun ] involving hard work or a lot of effort over a short period of time in order to achieve quick results :
a crash course in computer programming
a crash diet
••
SYNONYMS
crash
slam ♦ collide ♦ smash ♦ wreck
These are all words that can be used when sth, especially a vehicle, hits sth else very hard and is damaged or destroyed.
crash
( rather informal ) to hit an object or another vehicle, causing damage; to make a vehicle do this:
I was terrified that the plane would crash.
slam (sth) into / against sb/sth
to crash into sth with a lot of force; to make sth do this:
The car skidded and slammed into a tree.
collide
( rather formal ) (of two vehicles or people) to crash into each other; (of a vehicle or person) to crash into sb/sth else:
The car and the van collided head-on in thick fog.
smash
( rather informal ) to crash into sth with a lot of force; to make sth do this; to crash a car:
Ramraiders smashed a stolen car through the shop window.
crash, slam or smash?
Crash is used particularly for vehicles and can be used without a preposition:
We're going to crash, aren't we?
In this meaning slam and smash always take a preposition: We're going to slam / smash, aren't we? They are used for a much wider range of things than just vehicles. Crash can also be used for other things, if used with a preposition:
He crashed down the telephone receiver.
wreck
to crash a vehicle and damage it so badly that it is not worth repairing
PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS :
The two vehicles crashed / collided.
The two vehicles crashed / slammed / smashed into each other .
The car / plane crashed / slammed / smashed into a tree.
I've crashed / smashed / wrecked the car .
to crash / slam / collide / smash head-on (into / with sth)
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : imitative, perhaps partly suggested by craze and dash .