crisis
[noun]
Synonyms:
- critical point, climax, crunch (informal), crux, culmination, height, moment of truth, turning point
- emergency, deep water, dire straits, meltdown (informal), panic stations (informal), plight, predicament, trouble

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

cri‧sis S3 W2 /ˈkraɪsəs, ˈkraɪsɪs/ noun (plural crises /-siːz/) [uncountable and countable]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: Greek krisis 'decision', from krinein; ⇒ criterion]

1. a situation in which there are a lot of problems that must be dealt with quickly so that the situation does not get worse or more dangerous ⇒ emergency:
The country now faces an economic crisis.
The Prime Minister was criticized for the way in which he handled the crisis.
the current debt crisis
a major political crisis
I was relieved that we had averted yet another financial crisis.
Oil companies were heavily criticized when they made large profits during the oil crisis of the 1970s.
The car industry is now in crisis.
He doesn’t seem to be very good at crisis management.

2. a time when a personal emotional problem or situation has reached its worst point:
an emotional crisis
In times of crisis, you find out who your real friends are.
He seems to be going through a crisis.
She has reached a crisis point in her career.
Both parties experienced an identity crisis (=feeling of uncertainty about their purpose) at the end of the '90s.

3. crisis of confidence a situation in which people no longer believe that a government or an economic system is working properly, and will no longer support it or work with it:
There seems to be a crisis of confidence in the economy.

4. crisis of conscience a situation in which someone feels worried or uncomfortable because they have done something which they think is wrong or immoral
⇒ midlife crisis

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

crisis
noun
ADJ. acute, grave, major, serious, severe, terrible, worst the worst economic crisis for fifty years
growing, mounting | impending, looming | international, national | constitutional, economic, financial, fiscal, political | cash, debt, energy, hostage, housing, oil, refugee the Third World debt crisis
family, personal | identity | mid-life
VERB + CRISIS be faced with, be hit by, face, go through, have (informal), suffer With competition from cheap imports, the British coal industry is facing a serious crisis. He's having a mid-life crisis.
cause, create, lead to, precipitate, provoke, spark off | deal with, defuse, ease, handle, overcome, resolve, respond to, solve, tackle Union leaders are taking immediate steps to defuse the crisis. attempts to ease the town's housing crisis
survive, weather | avert, prevent | aggravate
CRISIS + VERB arise waiting for the next crisis to arise
deepen, worsen | be over As soon as the crisis was over, she relaxed.
PREP. during a/the ~ Three people died during the hostage crisis.
in (a/the) ~ The government is in crisis. She's no good in a crisis.
~ in the growing crisis in education
~ over a crisis over pensions
CRISIS + NOUN point The team's dismal season has reached crisis point.
management an expert in crisis management
PHRASES a crisis of confidence The company is suffering a severe crisis of confidence.
at/in moments/times of crisis In times of crisis it's good to have someone you can rely on for advice.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

crisis

an economic/political/financial etc crisis
The country was headed into an economic crisis.
a constitutional crisis (=relating to the way a country is governed)
The scandal caused the greatest constitutional crisis of modern times.
a major/serious/deep/severe crisis
Our farming industry has been hit by a serious crisis.
a worsening/deepening crisis
The strikes came during a worsening economic crisis.
create/cause/provoke a crisis
The people fled the country, creating a huge refugee crisis.
precipitate a crisis formal (=start one)
The rising oil prices precipitated an energy crisis.
face a crisis
Many families are facing a debt crisis.
resolve/overcome a crisis (=deal with it so that it no longer exists)
We still hope that the hostage crisis can be resolved by negotiation.
handle a crisis (=deal with one)
Can he handle the crisis in our prisons?
defuse a crisis (=stop it developing further)
Diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis have failed.
avert a crisis (=stop it happening)
More talks were proposed in an attempt to avert the crisis.
a debt/food/housing etc crisis
The failure of the crop this year will create a food crisis.
a cash crisis (=a lack of money)
In April the company sold another 30% of its stock to ease its cash crisis.
an energy/oil/fuel crisis
There is an energy crisis here, with power cuts happening daily.
crisis management (=dealing with a crisis)
Most of my job consists of crisis management.
crisis point (=the point at which a problem becomes a crisis)
Events were now reaching crisis point.
a crisis situation
Emergency powers were needed to deal with the crisis situation.
crisis talks (=discussions about a crisis)
The Prime Minister went back to London for crisis talks.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲