tumble

Compared meaning: to fall down or collapse suddenly or slowly (verb).

比较义项：（建筑物、系统或人的姿态、情绪等）突然或逐渐地倒塌、崩溃、瓦解（动词）。

• collapse

  The all-purpose word for total, sudden failure; used broadly for buildings, systems, or a person losing strength, without the rolling motion of tumble or the fragment-by-fragment sense of crumble.

  最通用的词，指彻底、突然的失效；可广泛用于建筑、系统或身体虚脱，没有 tumble 那种滚动跌落的意味，也没有 crumble 那种一点点碎裂的过程。

  The old bridge collapsed without warning during the storm last night.

  那座旧桥在昨晚的暴风雨中毫无预警地倒塌了。

• tumble 本词

  Emphasizes a fall with a rolling or toppling motion, often of a person or object losing balance; less suited to describing slow structural failure like crumble.

  强调像滚动、跌倒一样地摔落，常用于人或物体失去平衡的情形；不太适合表示像 crumble 那样缓慢的结构性损坏。

  He lost his balance and tumbled down the steep staircase.

  他没有站稳，从陡峭的楼梯上一路翻滚着摔了下去。

• crumble

  Highlights a slow, gradual process of breaking into pieces over time, typically for old buildings or long-lasting things; rarely describes one sudden instant of failure.

  强调随着时间缓慢地一点点碎裂瓦解的过程，常用于老旧建筑或持续很久的事物，很少表示某一瞬间突然的失效。

  The ancient castle walls have been slowly crumbling for centuries.

  这座古老城堡的墙壁几个世纪以来一直在慢慢崩塌瓦解。

• crumple

  Describes something suddenly folding or giving way, as if crushed like paper; often used for a person's face, posture, or resistance collapsing emotionally in an instant.

  描述某物像纸张被揉皱一样突然瘪下去、崩溃，常用于人的表情、姿态或抵抗力在瞬间于情感上崩溃。

  Her smile crumpled the instant she read the tragic news.

  她一读到那则悲惨的消息，笑容瞬间就垮了下来。

Collapse, tumble, crumble, and crumple all mean to fall down suddenly or slowly. Collapse is the general word for total, sudden failure. Tumble stresses a rolling, toppling fall. Crumble means breaking apart slowly, over time. Crumple means suddenly giving way, like a face losing control.

这四个词都能表示（建筑、系统或人的姿态、情绪等）倒塌、崩溃、瓦解，但过程和语气不同：collapse 最通用，强调彻底失效；tumble 强调像滚动、跌倒一样地摔落；crumble 强调随时间一点点碎裂瓦解的过程；crumple 强调像纸张被揉皱一样突然瘪下去，多用于人的表情或抵抗力。这里不比较 crumple「把纸张等揉皱」的字面义。

Compared meaning: a fall, as in 'take a spill' (noun).

比较义项：摔倒、跌落（名词）。

• spill

  A spill (n.) is a fall from something you were riding or standing on, like a bike or horse; often in the phrase 'take a spill'; informal, implies losing balance while moving.

  spill（名词）指从骑乘或站立的东西上摔下来，例如自行车或马；常用于 take a spill 这一说法；口语化，强调在移动中失去平衡。

  He took a bad spill off his mountain bike and scraped his knee.

  他从山地自行车上摔了下来，擦破了膝盖。

• tumble 本词

  A tumble (n.) is a sudden, rolling or bouncing fall, often down stairs or a slope; used in 'take a tumble' or 'have a tumble'; commonly said of children or the elderly.

  tumble（名词）指突然的翻滚式跌落，常发生在楼梯或斜坡上；用于 take a tumble 或 have a tumble 这样的说法；常用来形容小孩或老人摔倒。

  The toddler took a tumble down the last two steps of the porch.

  那个小孩在门廊的最后两级台阶上摔了一跤，滚了下去。

Spill and tumble both mean a fall, as in 'take a spill' or 'take a tumble'. Spill is a fall from something you were riding or standing on, like a bike or horse. Tumble is a rolling or bouncing fall, down stairs or a slope.

这两个词在“摔了一跤”这个意义上很接近，常用于 take a spill / take a tumble 这样的固定搭配，但联想的场景不同：spill 多指从骑乘或站立的东西上摔下来，tumble 则强调翻滚、跌落的动作，常见于楼梯或斜坡。这里不比较 spill 作动词时“（把液体）洒出”的常见义项。