desmoronar

Desmoronar is a verb used in Spanish and Portuguese with the core meanings of to crumble, to collapse, or to fall apart. It can describe a physical process as well as a figurative breakdown. The verb can be used transitively (desmoronar algo) or in its reflexive form (desmoronarse in Spanish, desmoronar-se in Portuguese), when the subject experiences the collapse.

In geological, construction, and civil contexts, desmoronar refers to the sudden failure of earth, rock, or structures, resulting in a landslide, collapse of a slope, wall, or building. The event is also expressed by the noun desmoronamiento in Spanish or desmoronamento in Portuguese.

Metaphorically, desmoronar is used to describe the breakdown of plans, confidence, institutions, or other non-physical things. A plan or an argument can desmoronarse, and a person can feel that their confidence desmorona or desmorona within a crisis.

Adjectival and participial forms describe the resulting state: desmoronado refers to something that has collapsed or crumbled; desmoronando is the present participle. The verb is regular in both languages, following the standard -ar conjugation patterns. Examples of usage reflect its dual physical and figurative senses, from describing a cliff that desmorona after heavy rain to a confidant whose resolve desmorona under pressure.

See also: related terms such as colapsar (to collapse), desintegrar (to disintegrate), and desmoronamiento/desmoronamento as nouns for the act of collapsing.