lapse

/læps/

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Word: Lapse

Part of Speech: Noun and Verb

Usage Instructions:

• Use "lapse" as a noun when you are talking about a break or a mistake.
• Use "lapse" as a verb when you want to describe the action of something passing by or someone returning to a lower standard.

Examples:

1. Noun:

   • "There was a lapse of three weeks between the letters I received from my friend."
   • "He had a brief lapse in judgment when he forgot to study for the exam."

2. Verb:

   • "Three years have lapsed since I last visited my hometown."
   • "She lapsed into old habits after moving back to her old neighborhood."

Advanced Usage:

• In more complex contexts, "lapse" can refer to a legal or formal failure. For example, "The contract will lapse if not renewed by the end of the month."
• It can also be used in psychological contexts, such as "He experienced a lapse in memory during the stressful situation."

Word Variants:

• Lapsed (adjective): Refers to something that has fallen behind or become inactive. Example: "His lapsed subscription meant he could not access the service."
• Lapsing (gerund): The act of falling back or slipping into a previous state. Example: "Lapsing into bad habits can be easy if you're not careful."

Different Meanings:

1. Lapse of Time: Refers to the passage of time between events.

   • "There was a significant lapse of time before the project was completed."

2. Moral Lapse: Refers to a decline in ethical standards.

   • "His moral lapse shocked everyone who knew him."

Synonyms:

• For Noun:

  • Break
  • Interval
  • Mistake
  • Error

• For Verb:

  • Pass
  • Slip
  • Decline
  • Fall back

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• Lapse into: This phrase means to fall back into a previous state. Example: "He lapsed into silence after hearing the bad news."
• Let slip: This means to accidentally reveal something or to lose control over something. Example: "She let slip the surprise party plans."

Summary:

"Lapse" is a versatile word that can describe a break in time, a mistake, or a decline in standards.

Academic

Noun

1. a failure to maintain a higher state
2. a break or intermission in the occurrence of something
   • a lapse of three weeks between letters
3. a mistake resulting from inattention

Verb

1. pass by
   • three years elapsed
2. let slip
   • He lapsed his membership
3. go back to bad behavior
   • Those who recidivate are often minor criminals
4. drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards
5. end, at least for a long time
   • The correspondence lapsed
6. pass into a specified state or condition
   • He sank into nirvana

Synonyms

• backsliding
• lapsing
• relapse
• relapsing
• reversion
• reverting
• oversight
• elapse
• pass
• slip by
• glide by
• slip away
• go by
• slide by
• go along
• recidivate
• regress
• retrogress
• fall back
• backslide
• sink