train wreck

Or train·wreck

[trein-rek]

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.

train wreck

noun

1. an incident in which a train is severely damaged

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of train wreck¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Above all, we experience a pervasive miasma of helplessness as we are forced to watch this intolerable train wreck.

From Salon

“Afterglow” — which featured such addictive bops as “World on Fire” and “Train Wreck” — was made right as she started her journey as a mother.

From Los Angeles Times

Later, Brandon Nimmo reached base on a train wreck of a defensive play by the Dodgers, allowing the Mets to score and take a 5-4 lead.

From Los Angeles Times

Noem said his rival Trzaskowski was "an absolute train wreck of a leader".

From BBC

“The Palos Verdes peninsula … has been witnessing what I call a slow-moving train wreck,” Muratsuchi testified at an Emergency Management Committee hearing last month.

From Los Angeles Times