car crash: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Informal to neutral; the literal meaning is neutral, while the metaphorical meaning is informal.
Quick answer
What does “car crash” mean?
A collision involving one or more motor vehicles, typically resulting in damage, injury, or death.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A collision involving one or more motor vehicles, typically resulting in damage, injury, or death.
A disastrous or chaotic situation; a complete failure, especially one that is compelling to watch despite its negativity.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the term identically in its literal sense. The metaphorical use is slightly more prevalent in British English, especially in political journalism (e.g., 'a car crash interview').
Connotations
Identical connotations of sudden disaster, destruction, and failure in both varieties.
Frequency
High frequency in both varieties for the literal meaning. The metaphorical meaning is common, particularly in UK media.
Grammar
How to Use “car crash” in a Sentence
be in a car crashhave a car crashsee a car crashdescribe sth as a car crashVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “car crash” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The lorry skidded and car-crashed into the barrier.
- He nearly car-crashed on the motorway.
American English
- The truck slid and car-crashed into the guardrail.
- She almost car-crashed on the freeway.
adverb
British English
- The project went car-crashly wrong from the start.
- He performed car-crashly badly in the press conference.
American English
- The campaign went car-crashly off the rails immediately.
- She answered car-crashly poorly during the interrogation.
adjective
British English
- It was a car-crash interview, full of awkward pauses.
- The party's car-crash manifesto failed to impress voters.
American English
- It was a car-crash debate, full of embarrassing gaffes.
- The company's car-crash earnings report shocked investors.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used metaphorically to describe a failed project or disastrous meeting: 'The product launch was a total car crash.'
Academic
Rare; used literally in transport studies or public health research on road safety.
Everyday
Common for discussing actual road accidents and, informally, for describing personal or public failures.
Technical
Used in police reports, insurance claims, and traffic engineering with precise details (e.g., 'frontal offset car crash').
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “car crash”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “car crash”
- Using 'car crash' as a verb (e.g., 'The cars car crashed'). Use 'crash' as the verb: 'The cars crashed.'
- Overusing the metaphorical meaning in formal writing where 'disaster' or 'fiasco' may be more appropriate.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a compound noun, typically written as two separate words ('car crash'). The hyphenated form 'car-crash' is sometimes used, especially when functioning as a modifier (e.g., a car-crash interview).
Standard usage treats 'crash' as the verb. Using 'car crash' as a verb (e.g., 'to car crash') is non-standard and considered informal or humorous. The correct form is 'The car crashed' or 'He crashed his car'.
'Car crash' often emphasises the violent impact and dramatic nature of the event. 'Car accident' is a more general, neutral term that can encompass any unintended vehicle incident, including minor ones without a dramatic collision.
The metaphorical use, meaning a disastrous situation, became common in the late 20th century, particularly in journalism. It plays on the public's familiarity with dramatic crash footage and the idea of an unavoidable, public disaster.
A collision involving one or more motor vehicles, typically resulting in damage, injury, or death.
Car crash is usually informal to neutral; the literal meaning is neutral, while the metaphorical meaning is informal. in register.
Car crash: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɑː kræʃ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɑr kræʃ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It was a car crash (metaphorical)”
- “A car crash in slow motion”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine the loud CRASH of two CARS colliding. The sound and image perfectly capture both the literal event and the idea of a sudden, noisy failure.
Conceptual Metaphor
A DISASTROUS SITUATION IS A CAR CRASH (e.g., The debate was a car crash for his campaign).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'car crash' used metaphorically?