emergencynoun [ C or U ]
uk/ɪˈmɜː.dʒən.si/us/ɪˈmɝː.dʒən.si/B1 something dangerous or serious, such as an accident, that happens suddenly or unexpectedly and needs fast action in order to avoid harmful results:
How would disabled people escape in an emergency?
Is the emergency exit suitable for wheelchairs?
The pilot of the aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing on Lake Geneva.
More examples
- During the emergency many staff volunteered to work through the weekend.
- Grandma always kept a bit of money tucked away in case there was an emergency.
- You can land a plane on water in an emergency.
- I always keep a blanket and a toolkit in the trunk for emergencies.
- 20 million people face starvation unless a vast emergency aid programme is launched.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Accidents and disasters
- a knockout blow idiom
- accident
- accidental
- accidentally
- accidentally on purpose idiom
- banana skin
- calamity
- cataclysm
- catastrophe
- debacle
- disaster area
- disastrous
- forest fire
- holocaust
- knockout
- meltdown
- misadventure
- snafu
- the devil to pay idiom
- tragedy
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