Standard Lemma guide

derailment

noun · 5 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.

  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 R EY1 L M AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: rail-transport, railways, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An instance of diverting a conversation or debate from its original topic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An instance of thwarting or frustrating something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A pattern of discourse (in speech or writing) that is a sequence of unrelated or only remotely related ideas.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, medicine, psychiatry, psychology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: knight's move thinking

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

an accident in which a train runs off its track

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mishap, misadventure, mischance

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French déraillement.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: descarrilament — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Chinese Mandarin: 出軌 /出轨 (chūguǐ) — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Czech: vykolejení — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Danish: afsporing — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Dutch: ontsporing — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Finnish: raiteilta suistuminen — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • French: déraillement — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • German: Entgleisung — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Hungarian: kisiklás — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Hungarian: kisiklatás — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Hungarian: kisiklasztás — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Italian: deragliamento — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Japanese: 脱線 (dassen) — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avsporing — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: avsporing — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Portuguese: descarrilamento — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Russian: сход с ре́льсов (sxod s rélʹsov) — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Russian: круше́ние (krušénije) — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Spanish: descarrilamiento — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Swedish: urspårning — action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs
  • Hungarian: terelés — an instance of diverting a conversation or debate from its original topic
  • Hungarian: elterelés — an instance of diverting a conversation or debate from its original topic
  • Hungarian: eltérítés — an instance of diverting a conversation or debate from its original topic
  • Hungarian: vakvágányra vezetés — an instance of diverting a conversation or debate from its original topic
Real reading context

derailment in complete knowledge articles