accident waiting to happen — meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  Global Englishinformal
  • A situation, condition, or arrangement that is highly likely to cause a physical accident unless changed or rectified.

  Examples

  Beta

  • The old wooden bridge with missing planks was clearly an accident waiting to happen.

    El viejo puente de madera con tablas faltantes era claramente un accidente esperando ocurrir.

  • I told the building manager that leaving the stairwell so poorly lit was an accident waiting to happen.

    Le dije al encargado del edificio que dejar la escalera tan mal iluminada era un accidente esperando ocurrir.

  • With the slippery floor and no warning signs, the hallway was an accident waiting to happen.

    Con el suelo resbaladizo y sin señales de advertencia, el pasillo era un accidente esperando ocurrir.

• 2.

  Global Englishinformal
  • A circumstance or plan likely to result in serious trouble, failure, or harm in a non-physical sense, such as reputational damage or organizational collapse.

  Examples

  Beta

  • The company’s failure to update its security protocols was an accident waiting to happen, leading to the data breach.

    La falta de actualización de los protocolos de seguridad de la empresa fue un accidente esperando ocurrir, que llevó a la violación de datos.

  • Ignoring early signs of financial trouble in the startup was an accident waiting to happen.

    Ignorar las señales tempranas de problemas financieros en la startup fue un accidente esperando ocurrir.

  • Their reckless management style made the entire project an accident waiting to happen.

    Su estilo de gestión imprudente convirtió todo el proyecto en un accidente esperando ocurrir.

• 3.

  Global Englishinformal
  • A colloquial warning that current trends or behaviors are leading toward an imminent negative outcome.

  Examples

  Beta

  • Leaving the children unsupervised near the pool felt like an accident waiting to happen.

    Dejar a los niños sin supervisión cerca de la piscina parecía un accidente esperando ocurrir.

  • The old wiring in the house is definitely an accident waiting to happen if not replaced soon.

    El cableado viejo en la casa es definitivamente un accidente esperando ocurrir si no se reemplaza pronto.

  • Ignoring the warning signs, the hikers ventured onto unstable ground—an accident waiting to happen.

    Ignorando las señales de advertencia, los excursionistas se aventuraron sobre terreno inestable—un accidente esperando ocurrir.

• 4.

  Global Englishinformal
  • An environment or practice characterized by negligence, defect, or risk that makes an accident almost inevitable.

  Examples

  Beta

  • Leaving the children unsupervised near the pool felt like an accident waiting to happen.

    Dejar a los niños sin supervisión cerca de la piscina parecía un accidente esperando ocurrir.

  • The old wiring in the house is definitely an accident waiting to happen if not replaced soon.

    El cableado viejo en la casa es definitivamente un accidente esperando ocurrir si no se reemplaza pronto.

  • Ignoring the warning signs, the hikers ventured onto unstable ground—an accident waiting to happen.

    Ignorando las señales de advertencia, los excursionistas se aventuraron sobre terreno inestable—un accidente esperando ocurrir.