disaster waiting to happen
Accident brewing nearby
A disaster waiting to happen is a situation, system, or person so obviously flawed that catastrophic failure seems inevitable.
The phrase emphasizes that warning signs are visible to anyone paying attention: That rusty old bridge is a disaster waiting to happen.
Often used to assign blame before or after things go wrong: I told you hiring him was a disaster waiting to happen.
- ticking time bombLooming inevitable disaster
- timebombExplosive set to detonate later
- tragedyDisastrous or sorrowful event
- calamitySevere misfortune or disaster
- catastropheDevastating, large-scale misfortune
mishap · accident · accident prone · harbinger · misfortune · foreshadowing · house of cards · instability · precursor · warning signs · fragility · thin ice · recklessness · playing with fire · negligence · powder keg · failure · structural failure
disaster waiting to happensafe bet
Likely winning wager
sure thing · safe as houses · failsafe · rock solid · foolproof
disaster waiting to happenslam dunk
Forceful basket from above
done deal · money in the bank · dead cert · lock · tried and true
disaster waiting to happensure winner
rising star · can't miss · slam dunk · home run · golden opportunity
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