accident
gb/ˈæksədənt/ us/ˈæksədənt/
A2
English
~ 1300
baleset, véletlen, véletlenül, szobatisztasági baleset, bekakilás, bepisilés, munkahelyi baleset, ipari baleset, üzemi baleset
NOUN
A2
1
baleset
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] has an accident
She broke her leg in a skiing accident.
Egy síbalesetben eltörte a lábát.
The accident caused a long traffic jam on the highway.
A baleset miatt hosszú dugó alakult ki az autópályán.
Three workers were injured in the factory accident.
He was involved in a minor car accident last night.
Learner examples
I saw a car accident on my way to school.
Iskolába menet láttam egy autóbalesetet.
He had an accident at work.
Baleset érte a munkahelyén.
The bike accident broke his arm.
We called the police after the accident.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'accident' with 'incident'; 'incident' can be neutral or positive, while 'accident' usually involves harm or damage.
Meaning
Unexpected harmful event
Collocations
car accident
|traffic accident
|workplace accident
|serious accident
|fatal accident
Synonyms
mishap (More informal and can refer to smaller or less serious incidents.)
|
collision (Specifically refers to two or more things hitting each other.)
Antonyms
prevention (Refers to stopping harmful events from happening.)
Themes
daily life
|safety
|health
|daily_life
Definition
Something bad that happens suddenly and was not planned, often causing harm or damage.
An unforeseen and unintended event that results in damage, injury, or harm.
NOUN
A2
2
véletlen
A2
véletlenül
A2
Usage pattern:
[something] happens by accident
I met her by accident at the café.
Véletlenül találkoztam vele a kávézóban.
The discovery happened entirely by accident.
A felfedezés teljesen véletlenül történt.
He deleted the file by accident.
Learner examples
I found this photo by accident.
Véletlenül találtam meg ezt a fényképet.
We met by accident in the park.
Véletlenül találkoztunk a parkban.
She broke the glass by accident.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say 'in accident' instead of 'by accident'.
Meaning
Unplanned harmless event
Collocations
meet by accident
|find by accident
|happen by accident
Synonyms
chance (Refers to something happening without planning; more abstract.)
|
coincidence (When two or more events happen at the same time unexpectedly.)
Antonyms
intention (Refers to something done on purpose.)
Themes
daily life
|daily_life
Definition
Something that happens by chance and was not planned, but is not bad.
An unintended event or occurrence that happens without planning but does not cause harm.
NOUN
B1
3
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] has an accident
The puppy had an accident on the kitchen floor.
A kiskutya a konyhapadlón végezte el a dolgát.
Don’t worry, lots of toddlers have accidents during potty training.
Ne aggódj, a bilire szoktatás során sok kisgyereknél előfordulnak szobatisztasági balesetek.
She cleaned up after her son’s little accident.
Learner examples
The dog had an accident in the house.
A kutya a lakásban végezte el a dolgát.
My baby had an accident at night.
A kisbabám éjjel bepisilt az ágyba.
Sometimes children have accidents at school.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with injury-related accidents; here it refers specifically to bathroom accidents.
Meaning
Unplanned urination/defecation event
Collocations
potty accident
|toilet accident
|have an accident
Synonyms
mess (Informal term for unwanted waste left accidentally.)
Themes
daily life
|parenting
|health
|body
|daily_life
Definition
When a small child or pet goes to the toilet in their clothes or on the floor by mistake.
An occasion when a child or animal unintentionally urinates or defecates outside of the toilet or designated place.
NOUN
B2
TECHNICAL
4
The chemical spill was classified as a major industrial accident.
A vegyi anyag kiömlését súlyos ipari balesetnek minősítették.
The company reported three workplace accidents last year.
A vállalat tavaly három munkahelyi balesetet jelentett.
Safety drills help prevent accidents in factories.
Learner examples
There was an accident in the factory.
Baleset történt a gyárban.
He had an accident at work yesterday.
Tegnap munkahelyi balesetet szenvedett.
The company wants to stop accidents at work.
Meaning
Unplanned workplace harmful event
Collocations
industrial accident
|occupational accident
|workplace safety accident
Synonyms
incident (In workplace safety contexts, can be used neutrally for any event, but 'accident' implies harm.)
Antonyms
safe operation (Refers to work being carried out without harmful incidents.)
Themes
workplace
|safety
|work
|health
Definition
Something bad that happens at work without planning, often causing injury or damage.
An unplanned event in a workplace or industrial setting that results in injury, damage, or operational disruption.
Grammar
Dictionary form
accident
IPA
GB/ˈæksədənt/
US/ˈæksədənt/
Syllables & stress
ac - ci - dent (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ac)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: accident
- Plural: accidents
Word family
Forms
accidents
noun
Core family
accidental
adjective B2
accidentally
adverb B1
Negative and opposite forms
non-accidental
adjective
Expressions
accident waiting to happen
1/ˈæksədənt wˈeɪtɪŋ tə hˈæpən/
idiom
informal
Likely dangerous situation
A situation that will probably cause trouble or harm if nothing changes.
Examples
- That broken step is an accident waiting to happen.
- Leaving candles near paper is an accident waiting to happen.
by accident
1/bˈaɪ ˈæksədənt/
fixed phrase
Without intending to do so
Without planning to do it; not on purpose.
Examples
- I called you by accident when I pressed the wrong button.
- She spilled coffee on her shirt by accident.
meet with an accident
1/mˈit wˈɪθ ən ˈæksədənt/
fixed phrase
Experience harmful event unexpectedly
To have something bad happen to you suddenly, often used for injuries or death.
Examples
- He met with an accident on his way home from work.
- Several passengers met with an accident during the storm.
freak accident
1/fɹˈik ˈæksədənt/
fixed phrase
extremely unusual accident
A very strange and rare accident that is not normal and is hard to predict.
Examples
- He died in a freak accident while hiking.
- He died in a freak accident at work.
- It was a freak accident that no one could have predicted.
- It was just a freak accident; no one was to blame.
- The news reported a freak accident involving a falling tree.