Use 'crumbling' when describing something slowly breaking down into small pieces or failing over time, often involving structures or materials. Use 'disintegrate' when referring to something breaking down into smaller parts, often completely and often used in more dramatic or scientific contexts.
Adjective crumbling That crumbles; that breaks into small pieces or particles. (figuratively) In a state of decline.
'Crumbling' means breaking or falling apart into small fragments, especially as part of a process of deterioration, or becoming weak and ineffective.
Her heart was breaking again or maybe, her hope crumbling. In fact, it looked a bit like a crumbling, tumbledown barn. The crumbling ruins of the castle remain as impressive as ever. One evening after dark a young man prowled among these crumbling red mansions, ringing their bells.
Footage of the incident showed the statue bending against the wind before ultimately crumbling into the pavement below A replica of the Statue of Liberty in Guaíba, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, ...
Yahoo: A crumbling, long-forgotten statue with an unusual erect phallus might be a Michelangelo. Renaissance scholars want hard evidence.
A crumbling, long-forgotten statue with an unusual erect phallus might be a Michelangelo. Renaissance scholars want hard evidence.
Becoming and making less strong (Definition of crumbling from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
CRUMBLING definition: to break or be broken into crumbs or fragments | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples
to break into small fragments or crumbs. break or part into small fragments. to decay or disintegrate gradually: The ancient walls had crumbled. n. a crumbly or crumbled substance. Food crumbles, bits of crisp bacon, bread, etc., added to other foods, esp. as a topping. fragment. crum′bling ness, n. mash, shatter. disintegrate.