train wreck

American  

[trein-rek] / ˈtrɛɪnˌrɛk /

Or trainwreck

noun

1. an accident in which a train or trains are severely damaged.

2. Slang. a person who has experienced a personal failure, disaster, etc.

3. Slang. a disastrous situation, occurrence, or process.

   His football career has been a train wreck.

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train wreck British  

noun

1. an incident in which a train is severely damaged

2. informal something or someone that has suffered ruin or calamity

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Etymology

Origin of train wreck

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Because Noem was a train wreck we couldn’t help but watch, at a moment when the government would prefer we stop looking.

From Los Angeles Times

“Fun like a train wreck,” Elliot said, and Blake snorted orange juice out of his nose all over Corban’s shoulder.

From Literature

“Not great, but not a train wreck,” Nathanson wrote, referring to the revenue outlook.

From Barron's

"This company has exhibited all of the characteristics of a train wreck," said Mark Cohen, the former head of retail studies at Columbia Business School.

From BBC

The possibility of a train wreck looms.

From The Wall Street Journal