meltdown

Everyday

1. A serious accident in a nuclear power station when the core gets so hot that it melts. tree →
2. (informal) A moment when someone loses control of their feelings and cries or shouts, like a toddler's tantrum. tree →
3. (informal) A sudden total failure or collapse: a market meltdown. tree →

In the lessons

In science, meltdown is the dangerous overheating of a nuclear reactor. In everyday talk parents speak of a child having a meltdown in a shop; teachers learn that some children have meltdowns when overwhelmed. In news it means a sudden crash.

Examples

• The little boy had a meltdown when the ice cream fell. tree →
• I nearly had a meltdown when my homework vanished from the computer. tree →
• Scientists work hard to stop a reactor meltdown. tree →
• The team suffered a meltdown in the second half and lost. tree →
• The town had a traffic meltdown in the snow. tree →
• Stay calm, there's no need for a meltdown. tree →

Note

One word, from melt + down. Informal in the feelings sense. A meltdown in autism is different from a tantrum — it is not done on purpose, and kindness helps.