C217 words · Proficient

Accidents & Injuries vocabulary — C2

Accidents and injuries vocabulary for harm serious enough that recovery takes years, including a contusion, a haematoma, a prosthesis and the convalescence that follows.

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Words in this set

excruciating
/ɪkˈskruʃiˌeɪtɪŋ/
So intensely painful that you can think of nothing else while it lasts.
Example: The pain in my tooth last night was excruciating.
whiplash
/ˈwɪˌplæʃ/
A neck injury caused when the head is thrown sharply forwards and back in a crash.
Example: He's been off work with whiplash since the accident.
winded
/ˈwɪndɪd/
Left unable to breathe properly for a moment after a blow or fall to the stomach.
Example: The ball hit his stomach and left him completely winded.
sustain
/səˈsteɪn/
To suffer damage or a physical injury, especially in an accident or attack.
Example: The driver sustained serious injuries when the van overturned.
carnage
/ˈkɑrnɪdʒ/
A scene of great destruction and death, especially after violence or an accident.
Example: Rescue workers arrived to find utter carnage on the motorway.
disfigure
/dɪˈsfɪɡjər/
To spoil someone's appearance permanently, often because of an injury.
Example: The burns left scars that disfigured his face.
incapacitate
/ˌɪnkəˈpæsɪˌteɪt/
To make someone unable to move or function normally, often because of injury or illness.
Example: The fall incapacitated her for several weeks.
grievous
/ˈɡrivəs/
Extremely serious or severe, especially describing an injury.
Example: He suffered grievous injuries in the fall.
mangled
/ˈmæŋɡəld/
Badly crushed, torn, or damaged, especially describing something involved in an accident.
Example: Rescuers pulled the mangled wreckage from the river.
contusion
/kənˈtuʒən/
A deep bruise where tissue has been crushed but the skin is unbroken.
Example: The scan showed a contusion across two of the lower ribs.
haematoma
A pool of blood that collects under the skin or in tissue after an injury.
Example: A haematoma the size of a fist formed above the knee.
maim
/meɪm/
To injure someone so badly that part of the body is permanently damaged.
Example: The blast was designed to maim rather than to kill.
prosthesis
/ˌprɔsˈθɛsɪs/
An artificial replacement for a missing part of the body.
Example: He was fitted with a running prosthesis eight months later.
convalescence
/ˌkɑnvəˈlɛsəns/
The period of resting and getting stronger after a serious illness or injury.
Example: A long convalescence in the country was the only prescription offered.
mishap
/ˈmɪsˌhæp/
A small accident that causes no serious harm.
Example: Apart from one mishap with a stepladder, the week passed quietly.
reckless
/ˈrɛkləs/
Acting without thinking about the danger you cause.
Example: The judge described the overtaking as reckless rather than careless.
traumatise
To shock someone so badly that the effects last a long time.
Example: Witnessing the crash was enough to traumatise everyone on the platform.