derail
Americanverb (used with object)
-
derails,
present (3rd person singular)
-
derailed,
past participle, past
-
derailing
present participle
-
to cause (a train, streetcar, etc.) to run off the rails of a track.
-
to cause to fail or become deflected from a purpose; reduce or delay the chances for success or development of.
Being drafted into the army derailed his career for two years.
verb (used without object)
-
derails,
present (3rd person singular)
-
derailed,
past participle, past
-
derailing
present participle
-
(of a train, streetcar, etc.) to run off the rails of a track.
-
to become derailed; go astray.
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
derailsimple
-
derailssimple
-
have derailedperfect
-
has derailedperfect
-
am derailingprogressive
-
are derailingprogressive
-
is derailingprogressive
-
have been derailingperfect progressive
-
has been derailingperfect progressive
Past
-
derailedsimple
-
had derailedperfect
-
was derailingprogressive
-
were derailingprogressive
-
had been derailingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of derail
First recorded in 1840–50; from French dérailler, equivalent to dé- negative prefix + -railler, verbal derivative of rail “bar, beam” (from English ); see origin at de- rail 1
Explanation
When a train or a subway derails, its wheels accidentally leave the tracks. Train cars that derail can cause the cars behind them to crash. Mistakes by engineers or flaws in the track can derail a train or trolley, sending it off the rails and sometimes injuring the passengers. You can also use the verb derail figuratively, to mean "hinder someone" or "divert a process from going in its intended direction." For example, terrorists might derail ongoing peace talks by blowing up a bus. The word comes from the French dérailler, "go off the rails."
Vocabulary lists containing derail
This Week in Words: October 1 - 6, 2017
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This Week in Words: December 16 - 22, 2017
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Rams beat the Chargers by 13, so miscues by the special teams didn’t derail them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
“The buildout has too much momentum for either party to derail; power, permits and people are the real constraints,” the analysts at said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
While rising yields, wider credit spreads and a firmer dollar have tightened broader financial conditions, they have yet to derail the expansion.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
Anthropic’s success depends on its ability to develop and release increasingly powerful AI models, and the company faces unique risks that could derail its business.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
But he also proceeded with direction: nothing to herald the arrival of the Negro women to the laboratory, but nothing to derail their arrival either.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
When Evans derails the conversation again, a new question pops up — an occurrence in this film as natural and frequent as breathing.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
A striking photo of homes ablaze under the headline "Houses burn and train derails on hottest day" dominates the front of the Times.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
“I don’t see anything that derails economic or earnings growth,” said Amanda Agati, chief investment officer at PNC’s asset management group.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
“Most people think of retirement risk in terms of market crashes,” said Jeff Judge, a certified financial planner in Forest Hill, Md. “Healthcare is the one that actually derails the most plans I’ve seen.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 15, 2026
I need to get her out of here before my family derails my life just as it’s getting started.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
A lack of hotel space, however, nearly derailed “North of North” entirely.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
The FAI, held in Aberdeen earlier this year, heard the rail network was now better prepared for the risks of extreme weather than when the train derailed.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Could it now be the catalyst to repair a campaign that looked to have been derailed in just two months.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
Investors showed they are alive to one of the big risks in AI, that hopes for trillions of dollars of capital spending might be derailed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
Coach never asked me to keep his secret—how anger derailed his career.
From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
A number of attendees voiced concerns that market conditions and local backlash to AI data centers could cause the funding market to tighten, slowing down projects and derailing deals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
“True financial independence means you reasonably control what allows you to live the life you want without external things derailing you,” Welborn said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026
Iran's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, warned on Tuesday that violations of the ceasefire framework risked derailing broader diplomatic progress.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
At one point early on, high levels of soil contaminants become a concern at fields across the region, almost derailing the whole season.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
This was the only way to keep Cynthia from disrupting and derailing the entire lesson.
From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
