hyperinflation

IPA/ˌhaɪpərɪnˈfleɪʃn/
KK[hˌaɪpɚɪnflˈeʃən]IPA/ˌhaɪpərɪnˈfleɪʃn/

hyperinflation — noun

1. a severe economic crisis in which the prices of goods and services rise extremel

1.nounB2
Definition

a severe economic crisis in which the prices of goods and services rise extremely fast, making a country's money lose its value very quickly — for example, when a loaf of bread costs millions of the local currency within weeks.

Example

During the 2008 crisis, Zimbabwe experienced hyperinflation that wiped out people's savings.

historical reference: Zimbabwe 2008 crisis

Hyperinflation grew worse after the government printed more money to pay off its debts.

cause-effect: excessive money printing worsens hyperinflation

Common collocations
  • experience hyperinflation
  • suffer from hyperinflation
  • trigger hyperinflation
  • lead to hyperinflation
  • hyperinflation crisis
  • hyperinflation hit [country]
Synonyms
  • runaway inflation

    less severe; describes inflation that is accelerating fast but has not yet reached crisis level

  • currency collapse

    focuses on the loss of money's value rather than the price side of the crisis

  • price explosion

    informal and non-technical; used in journalism, not in economic analysis

Antonyms
  • deflation

    a general fall in prices, the opposite economic direction

  • price stability

    the ideal condition where prices neither rise nor fall significantly

Grammar Patterns

uncountable; used with experience, cause, suffer from

Usage Note

Uncountable noun — never used as 'a hyperinflation' or 'hyperinflations'. Common with verbs such as 'experience', 'cause', 'trigger', 'suffer from', and 'lead to'. Frequently discussed alongside historical cases like Weimar Germany (1920s) or Zimbabwe (2008).

Common Mistakes

Inflation went hyper.
The country fell into hyperinflation.
'Hyperinflation' is a single compound noun, not 'hyper' as a modifier of 'inflation'.
The hyperinflation of Venezuela was severe.
The hyperinflation in Venezuela was severe.
Use 'in' (not 'of') to specify the affected country.

Word family

  • hyperinflationary
    adjectiveC1
  • hyperinflate
    verbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms describe a situation in which prices rise at a dangerous speed, but they differ in severity and scope. 'Hyperinflation' is the most precise economic term, defined by an extremely high inflation rate (often over 50% per month) that destroys a currency's purchasing power. 'Runaway inflation' describes the accelerating phase before a full crisis — prices are climbing fast but the economy has not yet collapsed. 'Price explosion' is a non-technical, journalistic phrase that highlights a sudden sharp price jump; it may refer to one sector (food, energy) rather than the whole economy. 'Currency collapse' shifts the focus from prices to the money itself — the local currency loses almost all its value on foreign-exchange markets. For example: 'Venezuela's currency collapse meant a US dollar was worth millions of bolívars, while the resulting hyperinflation made a simple meal cost more than a month's wages.'

hyperinflation ↗runaway inflationprice explosioncurrency collapse

Common collocations

Nouns

  • hyperinflation crisis
  • hyperinflation period
  • hyperinflation rate

Adverbs

Phrases

  • fall into hyperinflation
  • spiral into hyperinflation
  • suffer from hyperinflation

Prepositions

  • during hyperinflation
  • in [country]'s hyperinflation
  • hyperinflation of [year]

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Formed from the prefix 'hyper-' (from Greek huper, meaning 'over, beyond') attached to 'inflation' (from Latin inflare, 'to blow into'), which had been used since the 1800s to describe rising prices. The compound 'hyperinflation' entered English economic writing in the early 20th century, gaining wide use after the extreme price rises in the Weimar Republic of Germany in the 1920s.

First known use

1880

1880, in the meaning defined above