Synonyms for accident
Most common
casualty disaster misadventure contingency mishap accidental
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Casualty — chance; random chance
casualty, disaster, misadventure, contingency, misfortune, calamity, hazard, chance, luck, event, adventure, happening, serendipity, stroke, lot, venture, mischance, contingent, fortuity rare, hap dated
2. Mishap
Definitions
- n. 1
Chance; random chance.
- n. 2
An unexpected event with negative consequences occurring without the intention of the one suffering the consequences, and (in the strict sense) not directly caused by humans.
to die by an accident such as an act of God
Related words
Forms
- Plural
- accidents → casualties, disasters, misadventures, contingencies…
Choose the right word
An accident is that which happens without any one's direct intention; a chance that which happens without any known cause. If the direct cause of a railroad accident is known, we can not call it a chance.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- disaster We will first ascertain the cause of the disaster.
- casualty She works in the hospital's casualty department.
- misfortune What greater misfortune is there than to go blind?
- misadventure We experienced the same misadventure!
- accidental The inquest returned a verdict of accidental death.
- mishap I broke my leg in two places during a skiing mishap.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| accident | falling | |
| disaster | rising | |
| casualty | steady | |
| misfortune | steady | |
| misadventure | rising | |
| accidental | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- lot1, hap1
- 4 letters
- luck1
- 5 letters
- event2, casus
- 6 letters
- chance1, stroke1, hazard2, mishap2
- 7 letters
- quality3, venture2, fortune2
- 8 letters
- property3, disaster3, casualty4, calamity4, fortuity, accidens
- 9 letters
- happening3, adventure3, affection3, befalling, mischance, perdurant
- 10 letters
- accidental4, contingent3, misfortune3
- 11 letters
- contingency4, serendipity5, contretemps3
- 12 letters
- modification5, circumstance3, misadventure4, happenstance3
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (event2 = 2 syllables).