French word

crash

Pronunciation

IPA/kʁaʃ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounaccident

Example

Il y a eu un crash sur l'autoroute ce matin.

There was an accident on the highway this morning.

Illustration for crash (accident)

More examples

Le crash informatique a interrompu toute la réunion.

The computer crash interrupted the entire meeting.

Core concept

A violent impact or failure that suddenly ends movement or function.

Common phrases

  • un crash informatique

    computer crash

  • un crash boursier

    stock market crash

  • un crash routier

    traffic crash

Similar words

accident: An unforeseen event in which people or property are harmed.
collision: An event in which two or more objects strike each other hard.
panne: A breakdown that leaves a machine or device unable to operate.

Definition in French

Désigne un arrêt brutal résultant d'une collision, d'une chute ou d'une défaillance, employé aussi pour des pannes soudaines de logiciels ou d'appareils.

Word origin

French borrowed crash from English, where the word is associated with an imitative sound for a heavy impact and later developed broader failure-related uses.

Usage tips

  • In a road-accident context, accident or collision is often more neutral than the familiar, somewhat informal crash.

Other meanings

  • collisionnoun
  • crashnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • crashercrashverb
  • crashécrashedadjective

Word lists with this word