fender-bender
/ˈfendə bendə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfendər bendər/ (ame, ipa)
fender-bender — noun
1. a small car accident where the vehicles only receive slight damage, such as a de
a small car accident where the vehicles only receive slight damage, such as a dented bumper or a broken tail light.
Ravindra was late to work because of a fender-bender on the highway near his exit.
collocation: fender-bender on [road/place]
The insurance agent said the claim was small — a fender-bender with a cracked taillight.
used in insurance context
Hana laughed at the tiny scratch on her door and called it a fender-bender.
After the fender-bender in the parking lot, Caleb and the other driver exchanged phone numbers.
Kwame told the police officer it was just a fender-bender, so no ambulance was needed.
Arjun filed an online report for the fender-bender on his way to the airport.
- minor collision
more formal; often used in police reports
- minor shunt
British English equivalent
- light crash
less common; mainly used in British English
- bump
very informal; can also refer to a bump on the road surface
文法句型
a [adjective] fender-bender
just a fender-bender
用法筆記
Frequently used to reassure someone that the accident is not serious, especially in everyday conversation or when reporting to insurance companies. The compound is fixed: you cannot replace 'fender' or 'bender' with similar words such as 'bumper-bender'. In British English, speakers more often say 'minor shunt' or 'bump'.