terrible accident

You can use it as a subject or an object in a sentence. It often follows verbs like there was or it was. For example, "There was a terrible accident on the highway." You can also use it to explain why you are late or why something is broken. It sounds serious, so your voice should stay low and calm.

Use it when you see a car crash or hear about a disaster. It is perfect for news reports or telling a sad story. Use it at work if you need to explain a major safety issue. It also works when you are being dramatic about a small mistake, but only with close friends. If you drop your phone and the screen shatters, you might call it a terrible accident to get sympathy.

Do not use it for tiny things like dropping a spoon. That sounds too dramatic and might scare people. Avoid using it if you want to sound lighthearted or funny with strangers. If someone is already very upset, sometimes this phrase is too blunt. In those cases, try saying "a difficult situation" instead. Never use it to describe something you did on purpose!

In Western culture, people use this phrase to show empathy. It acknowledges that the event was nobody's fault but was still very bad. It is a common phrase in local news headlines. English speakers often use it to avoid blaming a specific person immediately. It focuses on the tragedy rather than the cause.

You might hear horrible accident or awful accident. These mean almost the same thing. Tragic accident is even stronger and usually means someone died. If it is a small mistake, people say minor accident. If you are lucky, you might hear about a near miss instead.