lapse
/læps/ (bre, ipa) · /læps/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlaps/ (ame, mw)
lapse — noun
- lapsesingular
- lapsesplural
1. a small, short-lived error that happens when you forget something or when your a
a small, short-lived error that happens when you forget something or when your attention wavers only briefly.
Dr. Okafor apologized for a memory lapse during his lecture on tropical diseases.
collocation: memory lapse
A brief lapse in concentration caused the chef to add salt twice to the soup.
A brief lapse in attention led the nurse to record the wrong dosage.
Maria's momentary lapse of judgment led her to buy a car she could not afford.
Using his fingers to eat gravy, the teenager earned a stern look from his grandmother.
文法句型
a lapse + in/of + noun
用法筆記
Often followed by 'of' (lapse of memory, lapse of judgment) or 'in' (lapse in concentration, lapse in attention). The cause is typically temporary — the person does not habitually make such errors.
常見錯誤
2. the gap between two events, or an interruption during which an activity or situa
the gap between two events, or an interruption during which an activity or situation stops completely for a while.
After a long lapse in their friendship, the two women reconnected at a wedding.
collocation: lapse in [relationship]
The building stood empty for a lapse of nearly ten years before the renovation.
There was a brief lapse in the music as the band changed instruments on stage.
During the lapse between semesters, the Watanabe family traveled to Hokkaido.
The doctor told the Lin family to give the antibiotic every eight hours without lapse.
文法句型
a lapse + of + time period
a lapse + in + activity
用法筆記
In this sense 'lapse' emphasizes the gap itself. 'A lapse of X years' is the most common construction. For medical or routine contexts, 'without lapse' means without any interruption.
常見錯誤
3. a temporary failure to behave according to moral, religious, or professional sta
a temporary failure to behave according to moral, religious, or professional standards, especially after a period of good conduct.
The pastor spoke openly about his own moral lapse years ago to help others avoid the same mistake.
collocation: moral lapse
A single lapse in honesty cost the politician the trust of his supporters.
The nun considered her moment of envy a serious spiritual lapse.
The journalist took a paid trip from a source she covered—a costly ethics lapse.
After years of healthy eating, her lapse into sugary snacks felt discouraging but was not permanent.
- fall from grace
stronger and more dramatic; implies a serious loss of respect or favor
- transgression
more formal and religious; emphasizes the act of violating a rule
- slip
less serious; often used for minor ethical mistakes
- virtue
moral excellence or uprightness
文法句型
a lapse + in + moral quality
a moral lapse
用法筆記
Common in religious or moral contexts. Unlike sense 1, the focus is on failing to uphold a standard of behavior rather than making a simple cognitive mistake.
常見錯誤
lapse — verb
- lapsepresent simple I / you / we / they
- lapses3rd person singular
- lapsing-ing form
- lapsedpast simple
1. if an agreement, right, membership, or official document lapses, it stops being
if an agreement, right, membership, or official document lapses, it stops being valid because it was not renewed, extended, or continued in time.
Her passport lapsed last month, so she could not board the international flight.
The insurance policy will lapse if the monthly premium is not paid by Friday.
conditional: will lapse if...
His visa lapsed while the renewal application was still being processed by the immigration office.
His membership in the gym lapsed while he was recovering from knee surgery.
The contract lapses automatically at midnight unless both parties sign the extension.
- renew
to extend the validity of something
文法句型
something lapses
lapse + if/when + clause
用法筆記
Frequently used for time-limited rights: insurance policies, subscriptions, memberships, licenses, visas, and contracts. The subject is almost always an inanimate object or formal arrangement.
常見錯誤
2. to fail momentarily at maintaining your usual standard of performance in a task
to fail momentarily at maintaining your usual standard of performance in a task because of a brief drop in attention or concentration.
The goalkeeper lapsed for a split second, and the ball rolled past him into the net.
collocation: lapse for a split second
The young lawyer lapsed into silence during the meeting when the question caught him off guard.
The security guard lapsed in his vigilance and failed to notice the open door.
Even experienced drivers can lapse in concentration on a long, empty highway.
The waitress lapsed in her usual politeness and snapped at the customer without meaning to.
文法句型
lapse + in + noun
lapse + into + noun
用法筆記
Often implies the person normally performs well but momentarily fails. 'Lapse into silence' is a common fixed expression meaning to stop speaking suddenly.
3. to return gradually to a previous, usually worse condition or habit, especially
to return gradually to a previous, usually worse condition or habit, especially after a period of improvement or good behavior.
After three months without smoking, David lapsed back into the habit during a stressful week at work.
pattern: lapse back into [habit]
The patient lapsed into a coma two days after showing promising signs of recovery.
The country lapsed into civil war soon after the fragile peace treaty was signed.
Whenever I visit my hometown, I lapse into the local dialect without thinking about it.
The economy lapsed into a recession after the banking crisis shook global markets.
- recover
to return to a good state from a worse one
文法句型
lapse + into + noun
用法筆記
This sense is almost always followed by 'into' + a noun phrase describing the worse state. Unlike sense 2, the change here is a slide into a different state, not a momentary failure of performance.
4. if time lapses, it passes gradually, often in a quiet or uneventful way.
if time lapses, it passes gradually, often in a quiet or uneventful way.
The afternoon lapsed pleasantly as the old friends sat on the porch telling childhood stories.
subject: time; formal register
Time lapsed slowly during the long bus ride through the desert landscape.
Several minutes lapsed before anyone spoke after the shocking announcement was made.
As the hours lapsed, the night-shift nurse finished checking every patient on the ward.
The days lapsed one by one until the end of the Watanabe family's summer vacation.
文法句型
time lapses
as the hours/days lapsed
用法筆記
Formal or literary in tone. The more common everyday verb for the same idea is 'pass' or 'go by.' 'Lapse' adds a sense of quiet, gradual movement without notable events.