Definitions
- Describing a sudden and complete failure or breakdown of a structure or system. - Referring to a person or animal losing consciousness or falling to the ground. - Talking about a situation or plan that falls apart or fails unexpectedly.
- Describing something breaking into small pieces or crumbling apart. - Referring to a situation or relationship deteriorating or falling apart gradually. - Talking about food or baked goods that break into small pieces when touched.
List of Similarities
- 1Both involve the breaking apart or falling apart of something.
- 2Both can describe the deterioration or failure of a structure, system, or relationship.
- 3Both can be used metaphorically to describe the collapse or failure of plans or situations.
What is the difference?
- 1Extent: Collapse implies a more sudden and complete failure or breakdown, while crumble suggests a gradual or partial disintegration.
- 2Physicality: Collapse is often used to describe the falling down of physical structures or systems, while crumble can refer to both physical and metaphorical disintegration.
- 3Speed: Collapse happens quickly and unexpectedly, while crumble can happen slowly over time.
- 4Cause: Collapse is often caused by external forces or factors, while crumble can be a result of internal weaknesses or decay.
- 5Connotation: Collapse has a stronger sense of total failure or destruction, while crumble can imply a more manageable or reversible deterioration.
Remember this!
Collapse and crumble are synonyms that both describe the breaking apart or falling apart of something. However, there are differences in their extent, physicality, speed, cause, and connotation. Collapse implies a sudden and complete failure, often of physical structures or systems, while crumble suggests a gradual or partial disintegration, which can be both physical and metaphorical. Collapse happens quickly and unexpectedly, often due to external forces, while crumble can happen slowly over time, sometimes due to internal weaknesses or decay. Collapse has a stronger sense of total failure or destruction, while crumble can imply a more manageable or reversible deterioration.
