Accident

/ˈæk.sɪ.dənt/

Synonyms for "accident" (110 found)

Ranked by relevance and common usage.

Closest matches (22)

Adverb(1 words)
by chance

Strong matches (33)

Noun(7 words)
chancechance eventcoincidencescontingencycrashescrowd pushderailment

Related words (55)

Verb(2 words)
ignore safety warningspile up

Choosing the right synonym

  • Closest matches in this entry: fortuity, mishap, accessary, accessory, accidental.
  • Sentence evidence is available for accident, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
  • Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.

Synonym selection checklist

  • Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
  • Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
  • Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "accident".
  • Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.

When not to replace "accident"

Keep "accident" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.

If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.

Replacement workflow

1. Preserve meaning

Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "accident" intact in the sentence you are editing.

2. Tune tone

Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.

3. Re-read context

Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.

Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.

Final fit check

After choosing a replacement for "accident", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.

If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "accident" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.

Related word relations

OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.

5 relation types

More general

11 entries

More specific

8 entries
air crashappearancecar crashcolorconstruction accidentindustrial accidentroad crashsize

Collocations

6 entries
accident analysisaccident preventionaccident reportcar accidentindustrial accidenttraffic accident

Inflections

1 entries

Derivations

2 entries

Translations

189 translations across 91 languages.

Powered by Wiktionary

Afar

1 entries
  • qawwalayla noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Albanian

1 entries
  • aksident noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Amharic

1 entries
  • አደጋ noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Ancient Greek

2 entries
  • πταῖσμα noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • συμφορά noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Arabic

4 entries
  • حَادِث noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • حَادِث noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • حَادِث noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • حَادِثَة noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Armenian

1 entries
  • դժբախտ պատահար noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Azerbaijani

3 entries
  • avariya noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • bədbəxt hadisə noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • qəza noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Basque

2 entries
  • ezbehar noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • istripu noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Belarusian

4 entries
  • ава́рыя noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • вы́падак noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • катастро́фа noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • няшча́сны вы́падак noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Bengali

1 entries
  • দূর্ঘটনা noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Bhojpuri

1 entries
  • दुरघटना noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Bulgarian

4 entries
  • ава́рия noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • злополу́ка noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • инциде́нт noun (military: unplanned event resulting in injury)
  • катастро́фа noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Burmese

1 entries
  • မတော်တဆမှု noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Catalan

1 entries
  • accident noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Chinese Mandarin

2 entries
  • 事故 noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • 意外 noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Czech

3 entries
  • akcident noun (property resulting from chance)
  • nehoda noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • případek noun (property resulting from chance)

Danish

4 entries
  • egenskab noun (property resulting from chance)
  • tilfælde noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • tilfældighed noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • uheld noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Dari

3 entries
  • تَصَادُف noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • حَادِثَه noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • سَانِحَه noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Dutch

3 entries
  • ongeluk noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • ongeval noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • toevallig noun (military: unplanned event resulting in injury)

Esperanto

1 entries
  • akcidento noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Estonian

2 entries
  • õnnetus noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • õnnetus noun (military: unplanned event resulting in injury)

Faroese

2 entries
  • vanlukka noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • óhapp noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Finnish

4 entries
  • ilmenemismuoto noun (philosophy: appearance, manifestation)
  • ilmiasu noun (philosophy: appearance, manifestation)
  • onnettomuus noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • onnettomuus noun (military: unplanned event resulting in injury)

French

1 entries
  • accident noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Galician

1 entries
  • accidente noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Georgian

1 entries
  • უბედური შემთხვევა noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

German

4 entries
  • Malheur noun (euphemism: instance of incontinence)
  • Unfall noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • Unfall noun (euphemism: unintended pregnancy)
  • Unfall noun (military: unplanned event resulting in injury)

Greek

1 entries
  • ατύχημα noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Greenlandic

1 entries
  • ajunaarneq noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Hebrew

1 entries
  • תְּאוּנָה noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Hindi

2 entries
  • दुर्घटना noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • हादसा noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Hungarian

1 entries
  • baleset noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Icelandic

2 entries
  • slys noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • óhapp noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Indonesian

1 entries
  • kecelakaan noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Ingrian

2 entries
  • sormus noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • vahinko noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Iranian Persian

3 entries
  • تَصادُف noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • حادِثِه noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • سانِحِه noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Irish

2 entries
  • taisme noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • timpiste noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Italian

2 entries
  • accidente noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • incidente noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Japanese

2 entries
  • アクシデント noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • 事故 noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Kabyle

1 entries
  • amxix noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Kazakh

2 entries
  • авария noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • апат noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Khmer

2 entries
  • គ្រោះ noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • ចៃដន្យ noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Korean

1 entries
  • 사고 noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Kyrgyz

2 entries
  • авария noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • кырсык noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Lao

1 entries
  • ອຸປະຕິເຫດ noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Latin

1 entries
  • calamitas noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Latvian

1 entries
  • gadījums noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Lithuanian

1 entries
  • įvykis noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Low German

1 entries
  • Unfall noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Macedonian

2 entries
  • незгода noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • несреќа noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Malay

1 entries
  • kemalangan noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Malayalam

1 entries
  • അപകടം noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Marathi

1 entries
  • अपघात noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Mongolian

2 entries
  • аваар noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • осол noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Māori

2 entries
  • aituā noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • hauata noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Norwegian Bokmål

3 entries
  • uhell noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • ulykke noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • ulykkestilfelle noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Norwegian Nynorsk

3 entries
  • uhell noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • ulukke noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • ulykke noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Old English

1 entries
  • ġelimp noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Oromo

1 entries
  • balaa noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Ottoman Turkish

1 entries
  • قضا noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Pashto

2 entries
  • حادثه noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • پېښه noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Persian

1 entries
  • عرض noun (philosophy: appearance, manifestation)

Polish

1 entries
  • wypadek noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Portuguese

2 entries
  • acidente noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • acidente noun (military: unplanned event resulting in injury)

Romanian

1 entries
  • accident noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Romansch

1 entries
  • accident noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Russian

4 entries
  • ДТП noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • ава́рия f technical noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • ава́рия f technical noun (military: unplanned event resulting in injury)
  • катастро́фа noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Scottish Gaelic

2 entries
  • tubaist noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • tuiteamas noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Serbo-Croatian

4 entries
  • nèsreća noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • nèzgoda noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • нѐзгода noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • нѐсрећа noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Sinhalese

1 entries
  • අනතුර noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Slovak

1 entries
  • nehoda noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Slovene

1 entries
  • nesreča noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Spanish

1 entries
  • accidente noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Swahili

1 entries
  • ajali noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Swedish

1 entries
  • olycka noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Tagalog

3 entries
  • aksidente noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • disgrasya noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • sakuna noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Tajik

4 entries
  • авария noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • садама noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • сониҳа noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • тасодуф noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Tatar

1 entries
  • каза noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Thai

1 entries
  • อุบัติเหตุ noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Tigrinya

2 entries
  • ሃንደበት noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • ሓደጋ noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Turkish

1 entries
  • kaza noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Turkmen

2 entries
  • awariýa noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • betbagtlyk noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Ukrainian

4 entries
  • ава́рія noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • ава́рія noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • ава́рія noun (military: unplanned event resulting in injury)
  • ви́падок noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Urdu

2 entries
  • حادِثَہ noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • ناگَہانی noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Uyghur

2 entries
  • ئاۋارىيە noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • ھادىسە noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Uzbek

4 entries
  • avariya noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • balo noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • baxtsizlik noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • falokat noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Vietnamese

2 entries
  • sự cố noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • tai nạn noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Walloon

2 entries
  • accidint noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)
  • kénte noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Yiddish

1 entries
  • אַקצידענט noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Zazaki

1 entries
  • ağm noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Zulu

1 entries
  • ingozi noun (unexpected event with negative consequences)

Sample sentences

31 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

The discrepancy between the stories of the two parties involved in the accident was so great that the authorities had a hard time deciding which side was telling the truth.

Source: tatoeba (1918)

He was still mad about the accident despite his wife's conciliatory words.

Source: tatoeba (2016)

Did you actually see the accident?

Source: tatoeba (16024)

Did you break the window on purpose or by accident?

Source: tatoeba (16330)

Showing 4 of 31 available sentences.

Common questions

What are the closest synonyms for "accident"?

Closest matches include fortuity, mishap, accessary, accessory, accidental.

How should I check whether a synonym fits "accident"?

Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.

More for "accident"

Meaning

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