casualty

casualty — 名詞

1. someone hurt or killed during a war, a major accident, or a large-scale disaster

1.名詞C2
釋義

傷亡者

在戰爭或事故中受傷或死亡的人

someone hurt or killed during a war, a major accident, or a large-scale disaster such as an earthquake or hurricane

例句

The bus driver was the only casualty in the crash on the motorway.

巴士司機是高速公路車禍中唯一的傷亡者。

collocation: only casualty / sole casualty

After the earthquake, rescue teams reported more than three hundred casualties.

地震過後,救援隊通報了超過三百名傷亡者。

plural form: casualties for total count

同義詞
  • victim

    broader term — applies to crime, bullying, natural disasters; casualty is more specific to accidents and war

  • fatality

    specifically refers to a death, not just injury; more common in traffic and workplace accident reports

  • injured

    used as a collective noun ('the injured') rather than a countable noun like casualty

反義詞
  • survivor

    a person who lives through an accident or disaster

文法句型

casualty + of + war/accident/disaster

suffer + casualties

cause + casualties

用法筆記

Casualties is often used as a collective plural ('heavy casualties were suffered') rather than referring to named individuals. For a single person who died, fatality is more common in non-military contexts.

常見錯誤

The earthquake victims included many casualties.
The earthquake caused many casualties.
💡Use 'cause' or 'suffer' with casualties rather than 'include'.

2. a person, organisation, or thing that is harmed, destroyed, or lost as a side ef

2.名詞C1
釋義

受害者

因某事件或決定而遭受損害的人或事物

a person, organisation, or thing that is harmed, destroyed, or lost as a side effect of a particular event, decision, or change in circumstances

例句

The small bookshops were the main casualties of the large shopping centre opening.

那些小書店是大型購物中心開幕後的主要受害者。

metaphorical use: casualty of [event/change]

Beatriz was one of the casualties of the company's decision to cut four hundred jobs.

Beatriz 是公司決定裁減四百個職位後的受害者之一。

同義詞
  • victim

    more general — casualty in this sense emphasises being harmed as a side effect rather than the direct target

  • sufferer

    used mainly for people; casualty can be a thing or organisation

  • sacrifice

    implies being given up intentionally; casualty implies harm as an unintended consequence

反義詞

文法句型

become + a casualty + of + noun phrase

the first + casualty + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Most commonly follows the pattern 'a/the casualty of [change, decision, or event]'. The modifier 'first' appears very frequently ('the first casualty of…'), a fixed expression that learners can treat as a chunk.

常見錯誤

The small shop is a casualty of the big supermarket.
The small shop was a casualty of the big supermarket opening nearby.
💡Use 'casualty of' with an event or process, not a person or place.

3. the section of a hospital that provides urgent medical care to people who have b

3.名詞C2
釋義

急診室

醫院處理緊急傷患的部門(英式英語)

the section of a hospital that provides urgent medical care to people who have been seriously injured in an accident or have become very ill without any warning

例句

Theo was rushed to casualty after he fell from his bicycle and broke his arm.

Theo 騎腳踏車摔下來摔斷了手臂,被緊急送到急診室。

British phrase: 'to casualty' = to the emergency room

The night-shift nurse has worked in the casualty department for over twelve years.

那位大夜班的護理師在急診部已經工作了超過十二年。

collocation: casualty department

同義詞
  • emergency room

    American English equivalent — also called ER or emergency department

  • A&E

    short for Accident and Emergency; the standard term in British hospitals, interchangeable with casualty in everyday speech

文法句型

go to + casualty

in + casualty

the + casualty + department/ward

用法筆記

British English only. In American English the equivalent is the emergency room (ER) or emergency department. Do not use casualty as a countable noun in this sense — 'He was taken to casualty', not 'a casualty'.