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effondrement

collapse, breakdown

noun eh-fon-dreh-MAHN Rare
Mind & Emotions Mental States

Also means

cave-in, crash

Usage Note

Effondrement covers both physical collapse (of a building or cliff) and figurative breakdown (economic crash, emotional collapse). It derives from effondrer ('to cause to collapse') via the suffix -ment. The phrase être au bord de l'effondrement ('to be on the verge of collapse') is used in both economic and psychological contexts.

Examples

"L'effondrement du bâtiment a choqué tout le monde."

Natural Translation

The collapse of the building shocked everyone.

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