วิกฤต
crisis
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 crisis
- 2 critical、crisis-level
This word describes a severe turning point at which serious harm or a decisive outcome is possible. As a noun it means “crisis,” and as an adjective it means “critical” or “crisis-level.”
crisis
A serious and urgent situation that may lead to major harm or a decisive outcome if it is not brought under control.
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ประเทศกำลังเผชิญวิกฤต prathêet kamlaŋ phàchəən wíkrìt The country is facing a crisis. ประเทศกำลังเผชิญวิกฤต details
critical、crisis-level
Describes a situation or condition that has reached a dangerously serious or decisive stage.
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สถานการณ์กำลังวิกฤตขึ้นเรื่อย ๆ sathǎannakaan kamlaŋ wíkrìt khʉ̂n rʉ̂ay rʉ̂ay The situation is becoming increasingly critical. สถานการณ์กำลังวิกฤตขึ้นเรื่อย ๆ details
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ผู้ป่วยเข้าขั้นวิกฤต phûu pùay khâw khân wíkrìt The patient is in critical condition. ผู้ป่วยเข้าขั้นวิกฤต details
Learning notes
Explanation
วิกฤต is a relatively formal word for a high-stakes, urgent turning point—not just an ordinary problem. It is especially common in news reports, official statements, medicine, and business. As a noun, it appears in combinations such as เผชิญวิกฤต “face a crisis,” ผ่านพ้นวิกฤต “get through a crisis,” and แก้ไขวิกฤต “resolve or manage a crisis.” As an adjective, it normally follows the noun, as in สถานการณ์วิกฤต “a critical situation.” It can also describe a changing state, as in สถานการณ์วิกฤตขึ้น “the situation becomes more critical.” In medical contexts, อาการวิกฤต means a critical, potentially life-threatening condition. The spelling วิกฤติ is also encountered, but วิกฤต is the usual modern form. Some dictionaries record an older etymological sense such as “deformed” or “unnatural,” but learners generally only need the current senses “crisis” and “critical.”
Usage
It is common in news and formal discussion of economic or political crises, disasters, environmental threats, and organizations in serious trouble. In hospitals, it describes a patient whose condition may be life-threatening. It can also be used in conversation when the situation is genuinely serious.
Caution
Using วิกฤต for a minor mistake, temporary inconvenience, or ordinary concern can sound exaggerated; ปัญหา “problem” or ยุ่งยาก “troublesome” may be more natural. In medical contexts, วิกฤต does not merely mean that someone feels unwell—it indicates a genuinely critical condition.
Differences from similar words
1 crisis synonyms
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ปัญหา is the general word for a problem of any size. วิกฤต refers specifically to an urgent, high-stakes crisis that may determine what happens next.
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วิกฤตการณ์ is a fuller, more formal term often used for a major crisis or crisis event. วิกฤต is shorter and applies more broadly to crises involving individuals, organizations, politics, or the economy.
2 critical synonyms
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อันตราย focuses on something being dangerous or capable of causing harm. วิกฤต focuses on a situation or condition having reached a critical stage.