crater
gb/kɹˈeɪtɚ/ us/kɹˈeɪtɚ/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
volcano’s bowl-shaped opening
a large bowl-shaped hole at the top of a volcano
Usage pattern:
the crater (of a volcano)
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse crater with caldera; a caldera is typically much larger and formed by collapse.
Synonyms
caldera (Usually larger and formed by collapse, not just a simple crater.)
|
vent (Refers to the opening where material escapes, not the whole bowl-shaped hollow.)
Antonyms
peak (A high point rather than a hollow.)
Collocations
volcanic crater
|the crater rim
|the crater floor
|a steaming crater
|a dormant crater
|the crater of the volcano
|peer into the crater
|crater walls
Themes
nature
|geology
|science
Examples
- We stood on the edge of the crater and watched smoke rise from below.
- The volcano’s crater was partially filled with water after the eruption.
- A narrow path led up to the crater rim.
Learner examples
- The volcano has a big crater.
- We looked into the crater.
Noun
B2
entity
2
large hole from impact/explosion
a big round hole made by an explosion or a hit
Usage pattern:
a crater (in/on [surface])
Common mistake:
Crater is larger and more dramatic than a pothole; pothole is the common word for small road holes.
Synonyms
pit (More general; not necessarily caused by impact or explosion.)
|
hole (Very general; lacks the idea of a circular blast/impact shape.)
Antonyms
mound (A raised pile rather than a hollow.)
Collocations
impact crater
|meteor crater
|bomb crater
|shell crater
|a massive crater
|leave a crater
|a crater in the road
|a crater on the moon
|cratered landscape
Themes
science
|space
|news
|war
Examples
- The meteor left a crater hundreds of meters wide.
- A bomb crater marked the center of the field.
- The landing damaged the runway and created a crater near the main gate.
Learner examples
- The explosion made a crater in the ground.
Noun
C1
entity
3
deep pitlike mark or dent
a deep round mark like a small hole
Usage pattern:
a crater in/on [surface]
Common mistake:
In everyday talk about skin, people often say pimple scar or acne scar rather than crater.
Synonyms
pockmark (Often used for small pits on skin or a surface.)
|
indentation (More general and not necessarily round or deep.)
Antonyms
smooth patch (An area without pits or dents.)
Collocations
craters on the face
|craters in the skin
|a crater in the metal
|small craters
|pitted with craters
|tiny craters
|crater-like dents
Themes
daily_life
|health
|materials
Examples
- The old acne left small craters on his cheeks.
- The hailstorm made craters in the soft metal roof.
- Up close, the surface was full of tiny craters and scratches.
Learner examples
- The surface has many small craters.
Verb
B2
action
4
make a crater in something
to make a big round hole
Usage pattern:
[something] craters [surface] / [surface] craters
Common mistake:
As a verb, crater is less common than make a crater or leave a crater in.
Synonyms
pockmark (Suggests many small pits rather than one large crater.)
|
dent (Usually smaller and not as deep or dramatic.)
Antonyms
fill (To put material into a hole so it is no longer hollow.)
Collocations
crater the ground
|crater the runway
|crater the road
|cratered by bombs
|cratered surface
|cratered landscape
|crater a hillside
Themes
science
|news
|engineering
Examples
- The blast cratered the pavement and shattered nearby windows.
- Months of shelling had cratered the hillside.
- Repeated impacts cratered the soft rock surface.
Learner examples
- The explosion cratered the road.
Verb
informal
C1
event
5
fall or fail very suddenly
to fall or fail very fast
Usage pattern:
[something] craters / [something] cratered
Common mistake:
This figurative use is common in headlines; in careful writing, collapse or plunge may be preferred.
Synonyms
plunge (Common for prices or numbers falling quickly.)
|
collapse (Neutral and widely used in formal writing.)
|
tank (Informal; often used for performance or sales.)
Antonyms
surge (To rise quickly and strongly.)
|
soar (To rise very high, often rapidly.)
Collocations
sales cratered
|profits cratered
|the stock cratered
|approval ratings cratered
|the team cratered
|crater late in the season
|crater after a strong start
Themes
business
|sports
|media
Examples
- After the scandal, his poll numbers cratered within a week.
- The company’s stock cratered after the earnings report.
- They started the season well but cratered in the final month.
Learner examples
- Sales cratered last month.
Grammar
Dictionary form
crater
IPA
GB/kɹˈeɪtɚ/
US/kɹˈeɪtɚ/
Syllables & stress
crater (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (crater)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: crater
- Plural: craters
Verb
- Base: crater
- 3rd Person Singular: craters
- Present Participle: cratering
- Past: cratered
Word family
Forms
craters
noun
cratering
verb
cratered
verb
Expressions
crater lake
1/kɹˈeɪtɚ lˈeɪk/
fixed phrase
lake formed inside a crater
a lake inside a volcano crater
Examples
- After the eruption, rainwater slowly formed a crater lake.
- We hiked around the crater lake and took photos from the rim.
- The guide explained how deep the crater lake is.
crater out
1/kɹˈeɪtɚ ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
informal
fail or crash completely
to fail suddenly and badly
Examples
- Our plan cratered out when the funding disappeared.
- The app cratered out halfway through the demo.
- He started strong but cratered out near the end of the race.