slump

 
Pronunciation: /slʌmp/

verb

[no object]
  • 1 [with adverbial] sit, lean, or fall heavily and limply: she slumped against the cushions (be slumped) Denis was slumped in his seat
  • 2undergo a sudden severe or prolonged fall in price, value, or amount: land prices slumped
  • fail or decline substantially: United slumped to another one-nil defeat

noun

  • a sudden severe or prolonged fall in the price, value, or amount of something: a slump in profits
  • a prolonged period of abnormally low economic activity, typically bringing widespread unemployment: he had survived two world wars and a slump [mass noun]: periods of slump
  • a period of substantial failure or decline: Arsenal’s recent slump

Derivatives

slumpy

adjective

Origin:

late 17th century (in the sense 'fall into a bog'): probably imitative and related to Norwegian slumpe 'to fall'