plummeting
'Caer en picado' is a phrase in Spanish that is used to indicate a rapid or steep decline. This can be used literally, such as to describe an object falling sharply downwards, or figuratively, such as to depict a situation becoming rapidly worse. Essentially, 'caer en picado' would be used to depict circumstances that worsen abruptly and significantly. The English equivalent can be 'to plummet' or 'to nosedive'.
The country's economy has started to plummet.
This sentence illustrates the application of 'caer en picado' to describe situations that are declining rapidly and uncontrollably, often in a socioeconomic context, like in this case where it refers to the significant downfall of a country's economy.
After the terrible news, his spirits began to plummet.
Here, the phrase 'caer en picado' is applied to describe a sudden emotional downturn. This expression illustrates the swift and dramatic decline in someone's state of mind following adverse events - in this example, the receipt of terrible news.
The company's shares began to plummet after the bankruptcy announcement.
This example demonstrates the usage of 'caer en picado' in a financial context. It serves to depict a drastic drop in the value of a company's shares, which in this scenario is triggered by a bankruptcy announcement.