implode

Definitions

im- here means 'inward' (in-), the opposite of the ex- in explode. So implode = burst violently INWARD instead of outward. English coined it as the deliberate mirror of explode: a vacuum tube, a demolished building, or figuratively a company that collapses in on itself. (Note: this im- is the 'in/into' prefix, not the negative im- of implausible.)

Common Collocations

• 1.implode inward向内坍塌
• 2.begin to implode开始崩溃
• 3.the company imploded公司垮掉
• 4.implode under pressure在压力下内爆

Example Sentences

• 1.

  If the seal fails, the chamber will implode under the pressure.

• 2.

  The old tower was rigged to implode neatly instead of toppling sideways.

• 3.

  The company imploded within months of the scandal.

Easily Confused

implode vs explode — explode bursts OUTward (a bomb scatters fragments away); implode collapses INward (a building falls into its own footprint, a sub crushed by deep-sea pressure). Same root, opposite directions set by the prefix.