crisis
Definitions
A time of intense difficulty, danger, or instability
危机；紧要关头
A decisive moment, especially the turning point of an illness or course of events
转折点；（病情等的）危急时刻
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Greek krisis (a decision, a turning point), a noun from krinein (to judge, decide). A crisis was originally the decisive moment when a judgment had to be made — in medicine, when an illness turned toward recovery or death. English kept the 'turning point' and darkened it into 'a time of acute danger.'
Root crit still carries 11 more wordsWhy It Means This
The danger we now feel in 'crisis' is a later addition. The Greek krisis was neutral — simply 'the moment of decision.' Ancient doctors used it for the turning point of a fever, the day the patient would tip one way or the other. Because that moment was so charged, the word drifted toward 'emergency.' The original sense survives whenever a crisis is also an opportunity: it's still, at heart, the moment that decides what happens next.
Usage Guide
- Plural is irregular: one crisis, two crises (/ˈkraɪsiːz/) — never 'crisises.'
- Common compounds: financial crisis, identity crisis, mid-life crisis, energy crisis.
- 'in crisis' (no article): a company in crisis, a marriage in crisis.
Example Sentences
- 1.
The country was plunged into a deep economic crisis.
- 2.
The fever broke and the crisis passed by morning.
Easily Confused
crisis vs emergency — an emergency is sudden and demands immediate action (call 911); a crisis is a prolonged, high-stakes situation that may build over time (a debt crisis). An emergency is a moment; a crisis is often a period.