train wreck

or train·wreck

[ trein-rek ]

noun

1. an accident in which a train or trains are severely damaged.
2. Slang. a person who has experienced a personal failure, disaster, etc.
3. Slang. a disastrous situation, occurrence, or process:

   His football career has been a train wreck.

train wreck

noun

1. an incident in which a train is severely damaged
2. informal.
   something or someone that has suffered ruin or calamity

Word History and Origins

Origin of train wreck¹

First recorded in 1870–75