crisis

crisis — 名詞

1. a situation in which serious problems or strong disagreements cause widespread t

1.名詞B2
釋義

危機

影響社會或群體的嚴重困難或混亂局面

a situation in which serious problems or strong disagreements cause widespread trouble and may lead to major change

例句

The political crisis in Élise's country made it hard for people to get basic supplies.

Élise 國家的政治危機讓人們難以取得基本物資。

collocation: political / economic / humanitarian crisis

Gabriel's company survived the financial crisis by cutting costs early.

Gabriel 的公司提早削減成本,因此在金融危機中倖存下來。

同義詞
  • emergency

    more urgent and immediate; an emergency requires quick action, while a crisis may develop slowly

  • disaster

    focuses on the destructive outcome rather than the ongoing difficult situation

  • turmoil

    emphasises confusion and disorder, but can be less severe than a crisis

反義詞
  • stability

    a calm, secure state without major problems

文法句型

a/an + [adjective] + crisis

be in crisis

用法筆記

Often used with adjectives that name the type of problem (economic, political, humanitarian). The uncountable form (in crisis) describes an ongoing state rather than a single event.

常見錯誤

The country is in a big crisis.
The country is in a deep crisis.
💡'big' sounds weak with crisis; use 'deep', 'serious', 'major', or 'severe'.

2. the moment when a problem or difficult situation reaches its most dangerous stag

2.名詞B2
釋義

危急關頭

問題或困境中最危險、最關鍵的時刻

the moment when a problem or difficult situation reaches its most dangerous stage and action is needed

例句

The situation reached a crisis when the hospital ran out of medicine.

醫院藥品用盡時,情況就到了危急關頭。

reach a crisis — the moment when a situation turns critical

When the main water pipe burst, the apartment block knew a crisis had arrived.

主水管爆裂時,整棟公寓的住戶都知道危機來臨了。

同義詞
  • turning point

    neutral — may be positive or negative; crisis implies danger

  • climax

    often used in stories; crisis is more serious and real-world

  • breaking point

    the limit before collapse; more emotional or personal

文法句型

reach a crisis

at the crisis of [noun]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 focuses on a single decisive moment or turning point, whereas sense 1 describes an extended period of trouble. This sense is often used with 'reach' or 'at'.

3. going through a period of intense trouble or pain that deeply affects your perso

3.名詞B2
釋義

困境;難關

個人生活中經歷困難或痛苦的時期

going through a period of intense trouble or pain that deeply affects your personal life

例句

Folake went through a personal crisis after her father passed away.

Folake 在父親過世後經歷了一場個人困境。

collocation: personal / emotional / mid-life crisis

Ziad is in crisis after his wife left and does not know where to live.

Ziad 的妻子離開後,他陷入困境,不知道該住在哪裡。

同義詞
  • ordeal

    focuses on the painful experience; more dramatic

  • hardship

    suggests long-term difficulty rather than a specific turning point

  • struggle

    emphasises effort to cope; less intense than crisis

文法句型

go through a crisis

be in crisis

a [adjective] crisis

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1, this sense is about an individual's experience rather than a broad societal problem. Common in phrases like 'mid-life crisis' and 'identity crisis'.

常見錯誤

I have a crisis with my homework.
I am going through a personal crisis.
💡crisis is too strong for everyday problems; use 'difficulty' or 'problem' for minor issues.

4. the stage of a very serious illness when a doctor can tell whether the person wi

4.名詞C1
釋義

病情轉折點

重病過程中病情可能好轉或惡化的關鍵時刻

the stage of a very serious illness when a doctor can tell whether the person will recover or grow worse

例句

The doctor said Élise had reached the crisis of her illness.

醫生說 Élise 的病情已到了轉折點。

medical usage: reach the crisis of an illness

After days of high fever, the crisis passed and the patient began to recover.

連續幾天高燒之後,病情轉折點過了,病人開始恢復。

同義詞

文法句型

the crisis of [illness]

reach the crisis

the crisis passes

用法筆記

This is the original historical meaning of crisis and appears mostly in medical or historical contexts. In modern everyday language, the broader senses 1-3 are far more common.

5. a situation in which people suddenly stop trusting a government, company, or fin

5.名詞B2
釋義

信心危機

對金融或政治體系突然失去信任

a situation in which people suddenly stop trusting a government, company, or financial system

例句

The bank lost many customers after the crisis of confidence.

信心危機過後,這家銀行失去了許多客戶。

collocation: crisis of confidence

A crisis of trust had grown between voters and their elected leaders.

選民與民選領袖之間出現了一場信任危機。

同義詞
  • loss of faith

    similar but focuses more on belief than reliance

  • credibility gap

    specifically about trust in what people say; narrower than crisis of confidence

文法句型

a crisis of [noun]

face a crisis of confidence

用法筆記

Almost always appears in the pattern 'a crisis of + abstract noun' (confidence, trust, faith). Different from sense 1 in that the trouble comes from people's attitudes rather than from objective problems.

常見錯誤

The company has a crisis of money.
The company faces a crisis of confidence.
💡'a crisis of' is followed by an abstract noun like 'confidence' or 'trust', not concrete nouns like 'money'.