Slump Describes a Body, a Market and a Hillside
To slump is to fall or sink heavily. The word applies equally to posture, economies and geology.
To slump is to fall or sink down heavily, and a slump is a sharp decline in performance or prices. The word works across scales without changing meaning: a person slumps into a chair, sales slump after Christmas, and in geology a slump is a mass of hillside that has slipped downward as a coherent block. Each is a heavy, sudden settling. The word is probably imitative, first recorded in the 1670s for falling into a bog.
- To sink heavily. *Slumped in a chair.*
- A sharp decline. *An economic slump.*
- A landslip block. *A rotational slump.*
- A poor run of form. *A batting slump.*
- Imitative origin. *From the 1670s.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | slump | Slump down. |
| Past | slumped | Slumped. |
| Noun | slump | A slump. |
| Plural | slumps | Slumps. |
| Adjective | slumped | Slumped. |
- He slumped into the armchair.Posture.
- Sales slumped in the third quarter.Economics.
- The cliff failed as a slump.Geology.
Words for economic decline
- Slump — a sharp fall, informal
- Recession — two consecutive quarters of shrinking output
- Depression — a prolonged and severe recession
- Downturn — the mildest and vaguest term
- Crash — a sudden collapse in asset prices
Probably imitative, first recorded in the 1670s meaning to fall into a bog or muddy place.
What is the difference between a slump and a recession?
Slump is informal and means any sharp decline. Recession has a technical definition, usually two consecutive quarters of shrinking output.
What is a slump in geology?
A mass of hillside that has slipped downward as a coherent block, usually rotating backwards as it moves.