crater

IPA/ˈkreɪtə(r)/

KK[krˈetɚ]IPA/ˈkreɪtər/

cratersingular
cratersplural

1.nounB1

Definition

A large, bowl-shaped hollow in the ground. Such features occur at volcanic peaks, created by eruptions, and can also be formed by meteorite strikes or bomb explosions.

Example

Ari peered over the edge of the volcanic crater and watched the smoke rise.

collocation: volcanic crater

A huge crater formed in the road after the gas pipeline exploded.

Common collocations

volcanic crater
impact crater
bomb crater
crater rim
crater floor
deep crater

Synonyms

hole
General term for any opening; crater is more specific to large, round depressions from volcanic or impact causes.
pit
A deep hole in the ground, often man-made (e.g., a mine pit), whereas a crater is formed by natural or explosive force.
depression
A sunken area on a surface; more formal and less specific than crater.
cavity
An enclosed hollow space inside something; crater is an open depression on the surface, often larger.

Usage Note

When referring to bomb damage, crater often pairs with compound nouns like bomb crater or shell crater. For volcanoes, the phrase volcanic crater is standard.

Common Mistakes

The dentist filled the crater in my tooth.

The dentist filled the cavity in my tooth.

A 'crater' is a large outdoor depression, not a small hole inside a tooth; 'cavity' is the correct dental term.

IPA/ˈkreɪ.tər/

KK[krˈetɚ]IPA/ˈkreɪ.t̬ɚ/

craterpresent simple I / you / we / they
craters3rd person singular
cratering-ing form
crateredpast simple

1.verbtransitiveB2

Definition

To damage a surface by creating one or more depressions in it, typically by bombing, heavy impact, or intense force.

Example

The heavy bombing cratered the runway, preventing any planes from landing.

transitive: bombing cratered [surface]

Hailstones cratered the bonnet of Nicholas's car during the storm.

Common collocations

crater the road
crater the surface
crater the ground
badly cratered
heavily cratered

Synonyms

gouge
To make a hole or cut by digging or scooping; gouging is usually done with a tool, cratering often by explosive force.
dent
To create a hollow by pressure or impact; dents are smaller and shallower than craters.

Antonyms

smooth
To make a surface even; the opposite of creating depressions.
fill
To put material into a hollow so that it becomes level.

Grammar Patterns

crater + noun (surface)

Usage Note

Frequently passive when the agent is unknown or unimportant: 'The road was badly cratered by the bombing.' The subject is typically an explosion, heavy object, or destructive force.

Common Mistakes

The explosion cratered.

The explosion cratered the road.

Sense 1 is transitive and requires a direct object (the surface being damaged). Without an object, use sense 2 for the surface itself developing craters.

2.verbintransitiveB2

Definition

For a surface to gradually acquire bowl-shaped hollows, often because of weathering, repeated impact, or general wear over time.

Example

The asphalt on the driveway cratered after years of harsh winters.

intransitive: surface + cratered (developed holes)

The surface of the moon cratered long ago from countless meteor impacts.

Common collocations

crater over time
crater after rain
crater from wear
crater badly

Synonyms

sink
To go down gradually; sinking is a slower process than cratering, which implies visible depressions forming.
cave in
To collapse inward; cave-ins are more sudden and involve a larger area giving way.

Grammar Patterns

surface + cratered

Usage Note

This sense is intransitive — the surface itself develops craters without specifying an external cause. It often occurs with a time phrase (over time, after) or a cause introduced by from or because of.

Common Mistakes

The heavy rain cratered the road.' (meaning the rain made the road develop holes)

The road cratered after heavy rain.

Sense 2 is intransitive; you cannot put the cause as the subject. Use sense 1 if you want to name the cause as the subject.

3.verbintransitiveC1

Definition

For a financial measure — such as a price, stock market index, or company value — to collapse suddenly and sharply.

Example

The company's share price cratered after the fraud scandal broke.

figurative intransitive: price cratered (collapsed)

The technology market cratered when investors lost confidence in startups.

Common collocations

price cratered
market cratered
crater suddenly
crater dramatically

Synonyms

collapse
Very similar in meaning; collapse is slightly more formal and can apply to physical structures as well.
plummet
To fall very quickly; plummet focuses on speed of descent, while crater emphasises the disastrous outcome.
crash
Common in financial contexts (market crash); crash can also refer to computer systems or vehicles.

Antonyms

soar
To rise quickly to a high level; the opposite of a sudden drop.
surge
A sudden strong upward movement, often used for prices or markets.

Grammar Patterns

price/market + cratered

Usage Note

Restricted to informal financial and commercial contexts. It implies a sudden, dramatic decline, not a gradual one. Common subjects: share prices, stock markets, currencies, revenues, and tourism figures.

Common Mistakes

The stock market cratered slowly over several years.

The stock market cratered in a single day.

'Crater' describes a sudden, drastic collapse, not a gradual long-term decline.

4.verbtransitiveC1

Definition

To make a financial measure — such as a price, stock market index, or company value — drop suddenly and sharply.

Example

The bad harvest cratered the local grain market for the whole year.

transitive figurative: event cratered [market]

The central bank's surprise decision cratered the currency overnight.

Common collocations

crater the economy
crater prices
crater the market
crater revenue

Synonyms

wreck
To damage something severely; wreck is broader and can apply to physical objects, plans, or relationships.
devastate
To cause severe damage; more formal than crater and often used for emotional or economic impact.
sink
To cause something to fail; sink is less dramatic than crater and can describe a slower process.

Antonyms

boost
To increase or improve something; the opposite of causing a collapse.
revive
To bring something back to a strong or healthy state.

Grammar Patterns

event + crater + price/market/business

Usage Note

The subject is the event or factor causing the collapse (a decision, scandal, natural disaster). The direct object is the affected price, market, or business. Unlike sense 3, this sense requires a named cause as the grammatical subject.

Common Mistakes

The scandal was cratered by Imran's business.

The scandal cratered Imran's business.

The cause is the subject, not the object. The business (what falls) is the direct object.

Word family

cratered
adjectiveC1
cratering
nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Crater, hole, pit, cavity, and depression all describe empty spaces or hollows, but they differ in cause, size, and location. A crater is a large, bowl-shaped depression formed by volcanic activity, meteorite impact, or explosion — it is always open at the top and usually found outdoors. A hole is the most general word: any opening or gap in a surface. A pit is a deep hole in the ground, often dug by people (e.g., a mine pit or a trap pit). A cavity is an enclosed hollow space inside a solid object, such as a cavity in a tooth or inside a wall. A depression is a formal term for any sunken area, which can range from a small dent to a large basin. For example: 'The hikers stood at the crater's edge,' but 'The dentist filled the cavity in my tooth.' To describe bomb damage, crater is the precise term; for a man-made excavation, use pit.

crater ↗hole ↗pit ↗cavity ↗depression ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

leave a crater
form a crater
crater over time

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Crater entered English in the early 1600s from Latin 'crater', meaning a bowl-shaped mixing vessel. The Latin word itself came from Greek 'krater' (κρατήρ), a large wide-mouthed bowl used in ancient times for mixing wine and water. The geological meaning arose in the 1700s when scientists noticed that the bowl-shaped openings of volcanoes resembled the shape of these ancient vessels.

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crater

crater — noun

1. A large, bowl-shaped hollow in the ground. Such features occur at volcanic peaks

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

crater — verb

1. To damage a surface by creating one or more depressions in it, typically by bomb

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. For a surface to gradually acquire bowl-shaped hollows, often because of weather

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. For a financial measure — such as a price, stock market index, or company value

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

4. To make a financial measure — such as a price, stock market index, or company va

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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