derail
verb /diːˈreɪl/
/diːˈreɪl/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they derail | /diːˈreɪl/ /diːˈreɪl/ |
| he / she / it derails | /diːˈreɪlz/ /diːˈreɪlz/ |
| past simple derailed | /diːˈreɪld/ /diːˈreɪld/ |
| past participle derailed | /diːˈreɪld/ /diːˈreɪld/ |
| -ing form derailing | /diːˈreɪlɪŋ/ /diːˈreɪlɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] (of a train) to leave the track; to make a train do this
- The train derailed and plunged into the river.
- derail something The rebels plotted to derail trains and blow up bridges.
Oxford Collocations DictionaryDerail is used with these nouns as the subject:- train
- career
- effort
- election
- …
- [transitive] derail something to stop a process from continuing in the way it was intended to
- This latest incident could derail the peace process.
- It is claims of financial irregularities which could ultimately derail his campaign.
- The company’s plans were initially derailed by problems with licence agreements.
Word Originmid 19th cent.: from French dérailler, from dé- (expressing removal) + rail ‘rail’.