accident
gb/ˈæksədənt/ us/ˈæksədənt/
A2
English
~ 1300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
event
1
Unexpected harmful event
Something bad that happens suddenly and was not planned, often causing harm or damage.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] has an accident
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'accident' with 'incident'; 'incident' can be neutral or positive, while 'accident' usually involves harm or damage.
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.)
Collocations
car accident
|traffic accident
|workplace accident
|serious accident
|fatal accident
Themes
daily life
|safety
|health
|daily_life
Examples
- She broke her leg in a skiing accident.
- The accident caused a long traffic jam on the highway.
- 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.
- He had an accident at work.
- The bike accident broke his arm.
- We called the police after the accident.
Noun
A2
event
2
Unplanned harmless event
Something that happens by chance and was not planned, but is not bad.
Usage pattern:
[something] happens by accident
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say 'in accident' instead of '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.)
Collocations
meet by accident
|find by accident
|happen by accident
Themes
daily life
|daily_life
Examples
- I met her by accident at the café.
- The discovery happened entirely by accident.
- He deleted the file by accident.
Learner examples
- I found this photo by accident.
- We met by accident in the park.
- She broke the glass by accident.
Noun
B1
event
3
Unplanned urination/defecation event
When a small child or pet goes to the toilet in their clothes or on the floor by mistake.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] has an accident
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with injury-related accidents; here it refers specifically to bathroom accidents.
Synonyms
mess (Informal term for unwanted waste left accidentally.)
Collocations
potty accident
|toilet accident
|have an accident
Themes
daily life
|parenting
|health
|body
|daily_life
Examples
- The puppy had an accident on the kitchen floor.
- Don’t worry, lots of toddlers have accidents during potty training.
- She cleaned up after her son’s little accident.
Learner examples
- The dog had an accident in the house.
- My baby had an accident at night.
- Sometimes children have accidents at school.
Noun
technical
B2
event
4
Unplanned workplace harmful event
Something bad that happens at work without planning, often causing injury or damage.
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.)
Collocations
industrial accident
|occupational accident
|workplace safety accident
Themes
workplace
|safety
|work
|health
Examples
- The chemical spill was classified as a major industrial accident.
- The company reported three workplace accidents last year.
- Safety drills help prevent accidents in factories.
Learner examples
- There was an accident in the factory.
- He had an accident at work yesterday.
- The company wants to stop accidents at work.
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.