accident
Unexpected harmful event
Something bad that happens suddenly and was not planned, often causing harm or damage.
[someone/something] has an accident
- 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.
- 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.
Unplanned harmless event
Something that happens by chance and was not planned, but is not bad.
[something] happens by accident
- I met her by accident at the café.
- The discovery happened entirely by accident.
- He deleted the file by accident.
- I found this photo by accident.
- We met by accident in the park.
- She broke the glass by accident.
Unplanned urination/defecation event
When a small child or pet goes to the toilet in their clothes or on the floor by mistake.
[someone/something] has an accident
- 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.
- The dog had an accident in the house.
- My baby had an accident at night.
- Sometimes children have accidents at school.
Unplanned workplace harmful event
Something bad that happens at work without planning, often causing injury or damage.
- 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.
- There was an accident in the factory.
- He had an accident at work yesterday.
- The company wants to stop accidents at work.
- Base: accident
- Plural: accidents
accident waiting to happen
1Likely dangerous situation
A situation that will probably cause trouble or harm if nothing changes.
- That broken step is an accident waiting to happen.
- Leaving candles near paper is an accident waiting to happen.
by accident
1Without intending to do so
Without planning to do it; not on purpose.
- I called you by accident when I pressed the wrong button.
- She spilled coffee on her shirt by accident.
meet with an accident
1Experience harmful event unexpectedly
To have something bad happen to you suddenly, often used for injuries or death.
- He met with an accident on his way home from work.
- Several passengers met with an accident during the storm.
freak accident
1extremely unusual accident
A very strange and rare accident that is not normal and is hard to predict.
- 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.