implosion

/im'plouʤn/

Thân thiện

The old light bulb on the desk made a soft pop as it suffered an implosion.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A sudden inward collapse: A violent bursting inward, opposite of an explosion. This is the most common meaning.
   • The initial occluded phase of a stop consonant: In phonetics, the phase where airflow is completely blocked in the vocal tract before the release of a consonant sound like /p/, /t/, or /k/.
   • A catastrophic failure or breakdown: Often used metaphorically to describe the sudden, complete failure of a system, organization, or situation.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Physical Collapse):
  • The implosion of the old stadium was carefully controlled with explosives.
  • Scientists study the implosion of stars to understand black holes.
• Noun (Phonetics):
  • In the articulation of the sound /p/, the implosion phase occurs when the lips are sealed.
• Noun (Metaphorical Failure):
  • The company's financial implosion left hundreds unemployed.
  • The scandal led to the implosion of his political career.

Advanced Usage

• "Economic implosion": A sudden and complete collapse of an economy or market.
  • The country feared an economic implosion after the currency lost all its value.
• "Cultural implosion": A rapid inward collapse or disintegration of a cultural system or identity.
  • Some theorists argue that globalization can lead to a cultural implosion.

Variants and Related Words

• Implode (verb): To collapse or burst inward violently.
  • The building was designed to implode rather than explode.
• Implosive (adjective):
  • Describing something that implodes or is characterized by implosion.
  • In phonetics, describing a consonant sound made with an inward airflow mechanism (less common in English).

Synonyms

• Collapse: A sudden fall or breakdown.
• Cave-in: A collapse inwards, especially of a structure.
• Failure: A lack of success (for the metaphorical sense).

Antonyms

• Explosion: A violent expansion or bursting outward.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• Controlled implosion: The deliberate, engineered inward collapse of a structure, typically for demolition.
  • The skyscraper was brought down in a controlled implosion.
• Implosion therapy: A behavioral therapy technique (also called flooding) where a patient is exposed to a high level of their fear until the anxiety diminishes. (Note: This is a specialized term using the metaphorical sense of a sudden, intense inward confrontation.)

Học thuật

Noun

1. the initial occluded phase of a stop consonant
2. a sudden inward collapse
   • the implosion of a light bulb