deflation
gb/dɪflˈeɪʃən/ us/dɪflˈeɪʃən/
B2
English
defláció, leeresztés, nyomásvesztés, megcsappanás, megingás
NOUN
C1
BUSINESS
1
defláció
B2
Usage pattern:
deflation in [an economy]; a period/risk of deflation
The central bank cut interest rates to prevent deflation.
A jegybank kamatot csökkentett, hogy megelőzze a deflációt.
Years of weak demand pushed the economy into deflation.
Az évekig tartó gyenge kereslet deflációba taszította a gazdaságot.
Deflation can make debts harder to repay because money becomes more valuable.
Learner examples
During deflation, many prices go down.
Defláció idején sok ár csökken.
Deflation can be bad for people who owe money.
A defláció rossz lehet azoknak, akiknek adósságuk van.
Common mistake:
Do not confuse deflation with disinflation: deflation means prices are falling overall; disinflation means prices are still rising but more slowly.
Meaning
fall in overall prices
Collocations
persistent deflation
|mild deflation
|severe deflation
|price deflation
|wage deflation
|asset-price deflation
|debt deflation
|risk of deflation
|fear of deflation
|period of deflation
Synonyms
falling prices (plainer and less technical; may refer to a whole economy or just some goods)
|
price decline (more general; can describe a specific market rather than the whole economy)
Antonyms
inflation (a sustained rise in the general level of prices)
|
reflation (a return to rising prices, often encouraged by policy)
Themes
economics
|business
|money
|prices
Definition
Deflation happens when prices across the economy go down, not just one or two items.
a sustained fall in the general level of prices in an economy, so that money buys more than before.
NOUN
B2
2
leeresztés
B1
Usage pattern:
deflation of [a tire/balloon/airbag]; tire deflation
The device detects sudden tire deflation and warns the driver.
A berendezés észleli az abroncs hirtelen nyomásvesztését, és figyelmezteti a vezetőt.
After the party, the slow deflation of the balloons left them lying on the floor.
A buli után a lufik lassan leeresztettek, és a padlón hevertek.
Controlled deflation of the life jacket is done by pressing the valve.
Learner examples
The balloon's deflation was slow.
A léggömb lassan eresztett le.
The driver noticed tire deflation on the highway.
A sofőr az autópályán észrevette az abroncs nyomásvesztését.
Common mistake:
In casual speech, people more often say a tire or balloon is deflated than say deflation.
Meaning
loss of air or gas
Collocations
tire deflation
|balloon deflation
|rapid deflation
|slow deflation
|controlled deflation
|sudden deflation
|gradual deflation
|complete deflation
|deflation valve
|deflation warning
Synonyms
air loss (plain everyday wording, especially for tires and inflatable objects)
|
depressurization (more technical; emphasizes loss of pressure)
Antonyms
inflation (the act or process of filling something with air or gas)
|
pressurization (adding or maintaining pressure, especially in a technical context)
Themes
objects
|vehicles
|science
|daily_life
Definition
Deflation is when air comes out of something and it becomes smaller, flatter, or softer.
the act or process of releasing or losing air or another gas from something, causing it to shrink, collapse, or lose pressure.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
3
megcsappanás
B2
megingás
B2
Usage pattern:
deflation of [hopes/confidence/ego]; deflation in [mood/enthusiasm]
The missed penalty caused an immediate deflation of the crowd's excitement.
A kihagyott tizenegyes miatt a tömeg lelkesedése azonnal lelohadt.
After such strong early reviews, the poor opening weekend brought a sharp deflation of expectations.
Az ilyen erős korai kritikák után a gyenge nyitóhétvége élesen visszavetette a várakozásokat.
Her calm reply caused a visible deflation of his ego.
Learner examples
The bad news caused a deflation of their hopes.
A rossz hír megcsappantotta a reményeiket.
He felt a deflation of confidence after the mistake.
A hiba után megingott az önbizalma.
Common mistake:
The adjective deflated is much more common in everyday speech for a person who feels disappointed.
Meaning
loss of confidence or excitement
Collocations
sudden deflation
|sharp deflation
|emotional deflation
|deflation of confidence
|deflation of hopes
|deflation of expectations
|deflation of pride
|deflation of the ego
|deflation of enthusiasm
|noticeable deflation
Synonyms
disappointment (more common and direct; focuses on the unhappy feeling)
|
discouragement (emphasizes loss of motivation or hope)
Antonyms
boost (an increase in confidence, mood, or energy)
|
encouragement (support that raises confidence or hope)
Themes
emotions
|communication
Definition
A deflation of feelings is a drop from excitement or confidence to disappointment.
a reduction in someone's confidence, hopes, pride, or excitement, especially after disappointing news or an unexpected setback.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
4
defláció
C1
Usage pattern:
wind deflation; deflation of [sediment/soil/sand]
Wind deflation created shallow hollows in the desert surface.
A széleredetű defláció sekély mélyedéseket alakított ki a sivatag felszínén.
The stony pavement remained after deflation removed the finer sand.
A köves sivatagi burkolat megmaradt, miután a defláció elfújta a finomabb homokot.
Researchers measured deflation of the dry lake bed during the windy season.
Learner examples
Deflation can remove sand from a desert surface.
A defláció elsodorhatja a homokot a sivatag felszínéről.
Common mistake:
This technical use is unrelated to lower prices or disappointed feelings.
Meaning
wind removal of loose sediment
Collocations
wind deflation
|aeolian deflation
|eolian deflation
|desert deflation
|deflation hollow
|deflation basin
|deflation surface
|deflation pavement
|sediment deflation
|soil deflation
Synonyms
wind erosion (broader and more familiar; includes other ways wind wears away land)
|
aeolian erosion (technical term for erosion caused by wind)
Antonyms
deposition (the laying down or accumulation of sediment)
|
sedimentation (the process of particles settling and building up)
Themes
geology
|environment
|deserts
|science
Definition
In geology, deflation is wind blowing away loose soil or sand.
in geology, the removal of loose sand, soil, or other fine particles from a surface by wind.
Grammar
Dictionary form
deflation
IPA
GB/dɪflˈeɪʃən/
US/dɪflˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
de - fla - tion (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (fla)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: deflation
- Plural: deflation, deflations
Expressions
asset-price deflation
1/ˈæsˌɛt pɹˈaɪs dɪflˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
business
falling asset values
Asset-price deflation is when investments like homes or stocks lose value across a market.
Examples
- The housing crash led to severe asset-price deflation.
- Asset-price deflation reduced household wealth and made consumers more cautious.
- Analysts worried that falling share prices could turn into broader asset-price deflation.
Learner examples
- Asset-price deflation made homes cheaper.
debt deflation
1/dˈɛt dɪflˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
falling prices worsen debt
Debt deflation happens when falling prices make existing debts harder to repay.
Examples
- The financial crisis raised fears of debt deflation.
- Debt deflation can force households and businesses to sell assets at falling prices.
- Some economists argue that debt deflation made the downturn longer and more severe.
Learner examples
- Debt deflation makes loans harder to pay back.
deflationary pressure
1/dɪflˈeɪʃənˌɛɹi pɹˈɛʃɚ/
fixed phrase
business
forces pushing prices down
Deflationary pressure means something in the economy is pushing prices down.
Examples
- Lower energy costs added deflationary pressure to the economy.
- Weak consumer demand created deflationary pressures in the retail sector.
- The central bank said it was watching for signs of deflationary pressure.
Learner examples
- Cheap imports can create deflationary pressure.
deflationary spiral
1/dɪflˈeɪʃənˌɛɹi spˈaɪɹəl/
fixed phrase
business
self-reinforcing price decline
A deflationary spiral is when falling prices make the economy weaker and prices keep falling.
Examples
- Policymakers acted quickly to stop the recession from becoming a deflationary spiral.
- Consumers delayed purchases because they expected lower prices, increasing the risk of a deflationary spiral.
- A deflationary spiral can be difficult to reverse once wages and spending start to fall.
Learner examples
- The government wanted to avoid a deflationary spiral.
grade deflation
1/ɡɹˈeɪd dɪflˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
stricter grading and lower marks
Grade deflation means students receive lower grades because standards or grading are stricter.
Examples
- Students complained that grade deflation in the department hurt their graduate-school applications.
- The policy was meant to fight grade inflation, but critics said it created grade deflation.
- Some universities publish grading data to show whether grade deflation is a real problem.
Learner examples
- Grade deflation made it harder to get an A.
wage deflation
1/wˈeɪd͡ʒ dɪflˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
business
falling pay levels
Wage deflation means pay levels are going down.
Examples
- High unemployment created wage deflation in parts of the service sector.
- The company avoided layoffs, but workers faced wage deflation through pay cuts and fewer paid hours.
- Economists warned that wage deflation would reduce consumer spending.
Learner examples
- Wage deflation means workers earn less.