1. an unfortunate event that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury
意外發生、非故意的不幸事件，通常造成損害或傷害
He broke his leg in a skiing accident.
他在一場滑雪意外中摔斷了腿。
The car accident caused a major traffic jam.
那場車禍導致了嚴重的交通堵塞。
Accident Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
accident
noun
快速理解
What does "Accident" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Accident"?
指意外發生的事件，通常是不幸或未預期的。
- 1
意外事件
EN: an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally
翻譯: 意外發生、非預期且不幸的事件
- 2
交通事故
EN: a crash involving vehicles
翻譯: 車輛碰撞的交通事故
- 3
偶然發生
EN: something that happens by chance, without planning
翻譯: 偶然發生、非計畫中的事情
- 4
非本意結果
EN: an event that happens without apparent cause or human intention
翻譯: 非由明顯原因或人為意圖造成的結果
小提醒：注意 'accident' 與 'incident' 的區別：'accident' 強調意外和不幸，'incident' 則泛指任何事件，不一定是不幸的。
發音（How to Pronounce "Accident" in English）
How to pronounce "Accident" in English?"Accident" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Accident" from YouTube Videos
Dalton Caldwell's Whale AMA
Y Combinator
“it'll be happening on. accident. the best way to talk about what your insights are is to tell, tell the story, tell The Narrative of.”
(1 out of 36)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Accident"?How does "Accident" change by context?
2. an event that happens by chance or without apparent cause
偶然發生或無明顯原因的事件
Our meeting was a happy accident.
我們的相遇是個美好的巧合。
The discovery of penicillin was a fortunate accident.
青黴素的發現是個幸運的偶然。
3. in philosophy, a property or quality not essential to the nature of something
哲學中，指事物非本質的屬性或特質
The color of the apple is an accident, not part of its essence as a fruit.
蘋果的顏色是其偶然屬性，並非其作為水果的本質。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Accident"?How to make natural sentences with "Accident"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| accident + happens | 事故發生 | Accidents happen when you least expect them. (意外總是在你最意想不到的時候發生。) |
| have + an accident | 發生意外；出事故 | She had a minor car accident on her way to work. (她在上班途中發生了一場小車禍。) |
| by accident | 偶然地；意外地 | I found this old photo by accident while cleaning the attic. (我在清理閣樓時，偶然發現了這張舊照片。) |
| be + no accident | 並非偶然；是刻意為之 | His success is no accident; he worked very hard for it. (他的成功並非偶然，他為此付出了巨大的努力。) |
| cause + an accident | 導致事故 | The icy road conditions caused several accidents this morning. (結冰的路況導致今早發生了好幾起事故。) |
| accident + involving + [vehicle/person] | 涉及…的事故 | There was a serious accident involving a bus and a truck. (發生了一起涉及公車和卡車的嚴重事故。) |
| meet with + an accident | 遭遇意外 | He met with an accident during the mountain climb. (他在登山時遭遇了意外。) |
| accident + occurs/takes place | 事故發生 | The accident occurred at the intersection. (事故發生在十字路口。) |
用法說明
How is "Accident" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Accident"?
by accident vs on accident
- by accident 是標準且最常見的用法，表示「偶然地、意外地」，強調事件並非刻意安排。
- on accident 在美式口語中偶爾出現，意思與 by accident 相同，但被視為非正式或不標準的用法，在正式寫作中應避免。
- 兩者皆為副詞片語，用來修飾動詞，描述動作發生的方式。
對比例句： EN: I deleted the file by accident. 翻譯: 我不小心把檔案刪除了。
EN:He said he did it on accident.
翻譯:他說他是不小心做的。
總結建議
在正式寫作及大多數情況下，建議統一使用 by accident 來表達「意外地」。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Accident" and similar words?How to choose "Accident" vs alternatives?
accident vs incident
「accident」強調意外、非故意的事件，常指不幸的意外事故；「incident」則泛指任何發生的事件，範圍較廣，不一定帶有負面含義。
accident vs mishap
「accident」通常指較嚴重、可能造成傷害或損失的意外；「mishap」則指較輕微、不便或尷尬的小意外。
accident vs coincidence
「accident」指物理上的意外事件；「coincidence」則指兩件或多件事在時間或情境上偶然巧合，並無因果關係。
口語用法
How is "Accident" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Accident"?
引述
在對話中，人們常會用 "accident" 來引述或轉述一個意外事件，語氣通常比較隨意。 EN: I heard there was an accident on the highway this morning. 翻譯: 我聽說今天早上高速公路上發生了事故。
EN:She said it was a complete accident that she broke the vase.
翻譯:她說她打破花瓶完全是個意外。
語氣強調
口語中會用一些副詞或短語來修飾 "accident"，以強調意外的性質或程度。 EN: It was a total accident, I swear! 翻譯: 那完全是個意外，我發誓！
EN:That was just a freak accident; don't worry about it happening again.
翻譯:那只是個離奇的意外；別擔心會再發生。
停頓填充
在組織思緒或尋找合適詞語時，"accident" 有時會作為一個停頓點或填充詞的一部分。 EN: It was kind of an... accident, you know? I didn't mean to do it. 翻譯: 那有點像是個…意外，你懂嗎？我不是故意的。
EN:So then, by accident, I found out the truth.
翻譯:然後呢，就意外地，我發現了真相。
注意：以上用法均屬口語或非正式對話情境。在正式寫作（如報告、論文、新聞稿）中，應使用更精確、正式的詞語來描述事件，例如 "collision"、"incident"、"mishap" 或具體說明事件性質，避免過於口語化的表達。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Accident"?What fixed phrases with "Accident" should I remember?
by accident
prepositional phrase
偶然地，意外地
car accident
noun phrase
車禍
accident prone
adjective phrase
容易出意外的，容易發生事故的
have an accident
verb phrase
發生意外；出事故；（委婉語）大小便失禁
accident waiting to happen
noun phrase
遲早會發生的意外；潛在的危險
fatal accident
noun phrase
致命事故，死亡事故
accident report
noun phrase
事故報告
pure accident
noun phrase
純屬意外
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Accident"?Which "Accident" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×It was an accident that I met my old friend.
✓I met my old friend by chance.
"Accident" primarily refers to an unfortunate, unexpected, and often harmful event. For positive or neutral unexpected events, use "by chance," "coincidentally," or "happen to."
×He had a car accident because he was driving carelessly.
✓He had a car accident. / He caused a car accident because he was driving carelessly.
An "accident" is by definition an unexpected and unintentional event. Saying "had an accident because of carelessness" can sound contradictory, as carelessness implies a degree of fault. It's more natural to state the accident and the cause as separate facts, or use "caused."
×I'm sorry for your accident.
✓I'm sorry to hear about your accident. / I hope you're recovering from your accident.
"Sorry for your accident" is not a standard expression of sympathy for this context. Use "sorry to hear about..." or a phrase that addresses the consequence (like recovery).
×The accident was happened yesterday.
✓The accident happened yesterday.
The verb "happen" is an intransitive verb and should not be used in the passive voice (was/were + past participle). Use the active voice.
×He is an accident.
✓He was an unplanned baby. / His birth was unplanned.
Calling a person "an accident" is very impolite and offensive. To describe a pregnancy or birth that was not planned, use the adjective "unplanned."
×I did it accident.
✓I did it by accident.
The correct prepositional phrase is "by accident," which means "unintentionally." The single word "accident" is a noun and cannot function as an adverb here.
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Accident"?What are tense/participle forms of "Accident"?