Phrase guide

collision course

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A course or path between two or more objects which, if continued at the current rate, will result in a collision.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The two boats were on a collision course, so they both veered starboard.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a course of action (following a given idea) that will lead to conflict if it continues unabated

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: course, course of action

3

noun

Meaning 3

a course of a moving object that will lead to a collision if it continues unchanged

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: path, track, course

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: ramkoers — path leading to a collision
  • Finnish: törmäyskurssi — path leading to a collision
  • German: Kollisionskurs — path leading to a collision
  • Greek: τροχιά σύγκρουσης (trochiá sýgkrousis) — path leading to a collision
  • Indonesian: jalur tabrakan — path leading to a collision
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kollisjonskurs — path leading to a collision
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kollisjonskurs — path leading to a collision
  • Portuguese: rota de colisão — path leading to a collision
  • Romanian: curs colizional — path leading to a collision
  • Swedish: kollisionskurs — path leading to a collision