casualties
casualties — noun
1. people who have been hurt or have lost their lives because of a war, an attack,
people who have been hurt or have lost their lives because of a war, an attack, or a major accident
The earthquake left over two thousand casualties across the coastal villages.
Nkechi read that there were no casualties in the train derailment.
Field hospitals treated casualties while the battle continued nearby.
The report counted seventy-six casualties, including twelve children, from the bombing.
Dmitri's unit suffered heavy casualties during the winter offensive.
- victims
broader — includes emotional or financial suffering, not only physical harm
- fatalities
only the dead, never the injured
- wounded
only those injured, never those killed
- survivors
people who lived through the event
文法句型
casualties of [war / accident / disaster]
heavy casualties
civilian casualties
用法筆記
Frequently used in news reports and military contexts. Almost always appears in the plural form.
常見錯誤
2. someone or something that is harmed, lost, or destroyed when another event takes
someone or something that is harmed, lost, or destroyed when another event takes place — not as the main target, but as an indirect or unintended result
The shop became another casualty of the new motorway bypass.
a casualty of — grammatical pattern with 'of'
Siti was a casualty of the company's sudden restructuring.
Several local cafes are casualties of rising rent in the city centre.
The old library fell as a casualty in the mayor's cost-cutting drive.
Haruki's small farm became a casualty of the prolonged drought.
- victims
more general; doesn't emphasise the indirect or unintended nature
- collateral
shorter, often paired with 'damage' in formal or military contexts
- beneficiaries
those who gain or benefit from an event rather than being harmed
文法句型
a casualty of [something]
become a casualty of [something]
fall casualty to [something]
用法筆記
Object is usually someone or something not directly targeted but harmed as a by-product. Distinguish from sense 1 (KILLED OR INJURED): this sense covers non-physical harm and inanimate things.
常見錯誤
3. in UK hospitals, the department that provides immediate medical care for people
in UK hospitals, the department that provides immediate medical care for people with serious injuries from accidents or with sudden, severe illnesses
Bernard was rushed to casualty after falling from the roof.
to casualty — UK directional usage
The hospital's casualty department was overcrowded on Friday night.
casualty department — full official name
Fatima waited four hours in casualty with a broken wrist.
A nurse in casualty told Joaquín his ankle needed an X-ray.
The ambulance took the injured cyclist straight to casualty.
- emergency room (ER)
US equivalent; universally understood
- A&E
UK official term (Accident and Emergency); more common in formal contexts
文法句型
in casualty
taken to casualty
casualty department
casualty ward
用法筆記
UK usage only; the US equivalent is 'emergency room' or 'ER'. In the UK, 'A&E' (Accident and Emergency) is now the more common official term, but 'casualty' remains in everyday spoken use.
常見錯誤
4. an accident in which people are badly hurt or killed, now considered somewhat ol
an accident in which people are badly hurt or killed, now considered somewhat old-fashioned or literary in tone
The newspaper described the bridge collapse as a tragic casualty.
In Victorian times, a railway casualty was a common fear among travellers.
dated usage: 'railway casualty' — older collocation
The inquiry examined the mine casualty that had claimed fourteen lives.
Kwame's grandfather still spoke of the factory casualty from 1952.
A railway casualty at the junction brought the morning service to a halt.
文法句型
[determiner] casualty
a tragic casualty
用法筆記
Now largely replaced by 'accident' or 'disaster' in everyday English. Found mainly in older literature or formal historical writing. Distinguish from sense 1 (KILLED OR INJURED): here the word means the accident itself, not the people harmed.