Dictionary

crisis en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈkɹɑesɪs/ (Australia)
• (California) audio
• /ˈkɹaɪsəs/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈkɹaɪsɪs/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈkɹɑe̯səs] (New-Zealand)
• (London) audio

Etymology

From Latin crisis, from Ancient Greek κρίσις (krísis, “a separating, power of distinguishing, decision, choice, election, judgment, dispute”), from κρίνω (krínō, “pick out, choose, decide, judge”).

Meanings

1. A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point.
2. An unstable situation, in political, social, economic or military affairs, especially one involving an impending abrupt change.
   • Are they right? Is pessimism correct? Could the state of the world, like the stripes on a barbershop pole, keep sinking lower and lower? It’s easy to see why people feel that way: every day the news is filled with stories about war, terrorism, crime, pollution, inequality, drug abuse, and oppression. And it’s not just the headlines we’re talking about; it’s the op-eds and long-form stories as well. Magazine covers warn us of coming anarchies, plagues, epidemics, collapses, and so many “crises” (farm, health, retirement, welfare, energy, deficit) that copywriters have had to escalate to the redundant “serious crisis.” Whether or not the world really is getting worse, the nature of news will interact with the nature of cognition to make us think that it is. News is about things that happen, not things that don’t happen. 2018, Steven Pinker, “Chapter 3: Counter-Enlightenments”, in Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress, Penguin, →ISBN:
   • The big question, I believe, is whether the Italian and maybe Spanish crises are the kind of thing that might be brought under control by ECB bond purchases. This is often phrased in terms of whether they are facing liquidity or solvency problems; but I think it’s better phrased in terms of the possibility of self-fulfilling crises, a la Obstfeld. […] So there is a reasonable case that what we’re seeing in Italy is a self-fulfilling crisis trying to happen, in which fear of default is precisely what leads to default. 2011 August 7, Paul Krugman, “A Self-Fulfilling Euro Crisis? (Wonkish)”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 11 Jul 2022:
   • The financial crisis could have been avoided and was the result of poor decision making both in Washington and at top financial firms that fostered a culture of excessive risk taking, according to a draft report written by Democrats on a panel that investigated the meltdown and obtained by Reuters. 2011 January 25, Dave Clarke, “Panel says financial crisis avoidable”, in Reuters, archived from the original on 22 Jul 2025:
3. A sudden change in the course of a disease, usually at which point the patient is expected to either recover or die.
4. A traumatic or stressful change in a person's life.
   • I'm having a major crisis trying to wallpaper the living room.
5. A point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved.
6. (euphemistic) Orgasm
   • The orgasm started slow, a few little twitches and vibrations, but as if he sensed her crisis, he increased both the speed of his thrusting fingers and the suction of his mouth on her sex. 2012 October 31, Jess Michaels, For Desire Alone, The Passionate Pen:
   • Connie found it impossible to come to her crisis before he had really finished his. 1929, D.H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterley's Lover:
   • He grunted as his thrusts increased, grew harder, and just as her crisis ended, he withdrew with a curse. 2021 July 20, Jess Michaels, To Protect a Princess, The Passionate Pen, →ISBN:

Forms

Deriveds

acrisia · oxygenation crisis · renal crisis · postcrisis · epistemic crisis · energy crisis · budget crisis · epicrisis · diabetic crisis · currency crisis · identity crisis · crisis intervention · minicrisis · mid-life crisis · crisis response team · software crisis · behavioral crisis · economic crisis · crisis-ridden · personal crisis · crisis center · scissors crisis · European debt crisis · healing crisis · crisis hotline · financial crisis · oxygen crisis · noncrisis · Eurocrisis · international crisis · crisis management · crisislike · constitutional crisis · ecocrisis · multicrisis · psychological crisis · psychedelic crisis · midlife crisis · existential crisis · precrisis · crisis actor · Asian songbird crisis · never waste a crisis · quarter-life crisis · replication crisis · polycrisis · crisitunity · permacrisis · climate crisis · crisisless · humanitarian crisis · crisis line · Messinian salinity crisis

Relateds

critical · critic · criticize · criterion · critique

Translations (192)

ckb قەیران (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · cs krize (sudden change in the course of a disease) · de Krise (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · ug كرىزىس (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · gd èiginn (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · nl keerpunt (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · yi קריזיס (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · hu krízis (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · yo yánpọnyánrin (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · tt кризис (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ka კრიზისი (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · sq krizë (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · as হাহাকাৰ (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ar أَزْمَة (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · yue 危機 /危机 (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · ru поворо́тный пункт (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · de Krise (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · sk kríza (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · el κρίση (sudden change in the course of a disease) · ru криз (sudden change in the course of a disease) · ro toi (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · ar بُحْرَان (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · vi khủng hoảng (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ru кри́зис (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · es crisis (sudden change in the course of a disease) · nl crisis (sudden change in the course of a disease) · ca crisi (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · io krizo (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · ar أَزْمَة (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ca crisi (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · tg бӯҳрон (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · mi tairaru (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ro criză (sudden change in the course of a disease) · gl crise (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · ru кри́зис (point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved) · da vendepunkt (sudden change in the course of a disease) · gl crise (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · az böhran (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · gd èiginn (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ca crisi (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ka შემობრუნების წერტილი (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · hi संकट (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · sk rozhodujúci okamih (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · ml പ്രതിസന്ധി (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ml പ്രതിസന്ധി (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · de Krise (point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved) · it emergenza (sudden change in the course of a disease) · as হুৱাদুৱা (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · mt kriżi (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · sh кри́за (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · fi kriisi (sudden change in the course of a disease) · ja 危機 (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · kmr buhran (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · bg кри́за (sudden change in the course of a disease) · ko 위기 (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · tr nöbet (sudden change in the course of a disease) · bho संकट (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · da vendepunkt (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · cs krize (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · ms krisis (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · as সংকট (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · lv krīze (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · hy ճգնաժամ (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · sh прѐкретница (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · id krisis (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · tr kriz (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · el κρίση (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · cmn 危機 /危机 (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · sk kríza (sudden change in the course of a disease) · yue 危機 /危机 (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · sh kríza (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · nb krise (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · fa-cls بُحْرَان (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · da krise (sudden change in the course of a disease) · ja クライシス (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · da krise (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · is kreppa (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · da krise (point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved) · tl krisis (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · de Krise (sudden change in the course of a disease) · sk kríza (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · pt crise (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · tk krizis (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · mi maiki (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · gd gàbhadh (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · th วิกฤตการณ์ (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ur بُحْران (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · hy ճգնաժամ (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · sv kris (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · de Krise (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · fi kriisi (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · he מַשְׁבֵּר (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · fa-ira بُحْران (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · km វិបត្តិ (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · pt crise (point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved) · ru перело́м (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · he מַשְׁבֵּר (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ro moment crucial (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · el κρίση (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · fr crise (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · sk kríza (point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved) · sl kriza (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · it crisi (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · is kreppa (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · ro criză (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · fo kreppa (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · nan-hbl 危機 /危机 (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · yo rògbòdìyàn (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · mn кризис (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ca crisi (point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved) · lo ວິກິດຕິການ (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · hy կրիզիս (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · te సంక్షోభం (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · es crisis (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · fr crise (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · ca crisi (sudden change in the course of a disease) · nl breekpunt (point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved) · ota بحران (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · sv livskris (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · uz krizis (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · tr bunalım (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · nl crisis (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · sh prèkretnica (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · kmr krîz (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · mn хямрал (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · pt crise (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · uk кри́за (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · fi kriisi (point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved) · kk дағдарыс (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · lt krizė (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · kn ಬಿಕ್ಕಟ್ಟು (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · mi tairaru (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · ja 危機 (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · cmn 危機 /危机 (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · cs krize (point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved) · ro criză (point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved) · pl kryzys (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · cs krize (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ru кри́зис (sudden change in the course of a disease) · cs rozhodující okamžik (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · ka კრიზისი (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · ru кри́зис (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · ka კრიზისი (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ky каатчылык (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · io krizo (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ja クライシス (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · tr çöküntü (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · tg кризис (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · es crisis (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · it crisi (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · mk кри́за (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · el κρίση (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · eo krizo (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ky кризис (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ga aothú (sudden change in the course of a disease) · hu válság (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ja 危機 (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · io krizo (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · ko 분리 (sudden change in the course of a disease) · ms kemelut (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ps بحران (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · tr buhran (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ro criză (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ja 分利 (sudden change in the course of a disease) · pt crise dramática (point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved) · da krise (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · nl crisis (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · pt crise (sudden change in the course of a disease) · be кры́зіс (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · fi kriisi (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · da krise (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · ru кри́зис (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · fi kriisi (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · uz buhron (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ko 위기 (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · bg кри́за (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · hu krízis (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · bn সঙ্কট (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ko 위기 (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · bg кри́за (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · et kriis (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · gl crise (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · gd gàbhadh (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · kmr qeyran (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · pt crise (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · ka გარდამტეხი წერტილი (crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point) · be кры́за (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · my အကျပ်အတည်း (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · sv kris (traumatic or stressful change in a person's life) · ps کړکېچ (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · ga géarchéim (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs) · hu krízis (unstable situation in political, social, economic or military affairs)