How do you use "Collateral damage" in a sentence?

When the company downsized, the interns were collateral damage. Their messy divorce caused a lot of collateral damage among their friend group. The new highway was necessary, but the small businesses it displaced were collateral damage.

Collateral damage

American Slang Term American ★★★★★ Very Common Neutral

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Significado: Unintended harm or consequences; innocent people or things caught in the crossfire.

附带伤害；被无辜波及的人或事物。

Daños colaterales; consecuencias no deseadas; personas o cosas inocentes que quedan atrapadas en el fuego cruzado.

意図しない被害や巻き添え。とばっちりを受けた無関係な人や物。

의도치 않은 피해나 결과; 화살을 맞은 무관한 사람이나 것.

Military euphemism for civilian casualties or unintended destruction during operations. In civilian use, it describes the unintended negative consequences of a decision or action that affects innocent bystanders.

军事委婉语，指行动中造成的平民伤亡或意外破坏。在日常用语中，形容某个决定或行动对无辜旁观者造成的意外负面影响。

Eufemismo militar para las bajas civiles o la destrucción no intencionada durante operaciones. En el uso civil, describe las consecuencias negativas no deseadas de una decisión o acción que afecta a personas inocentes.

軍事作戦中の民間人の犠牲や意図しない破壊を指す軍事的婉曲表現。民間では、ある決定や行動によって無関係な人が受ける意図しない悪影響を表す。

군사 작전 중 민간인 사상자나 의도치 않은 파괴를 가리키는 군사 완곡어법이다. 민간에서는 어떤 결정이나 행동이 무관한 사람들에게 미치는 의도치 않은 부정적 결과를 의미한다.

Ejemplos

When the company downsized, the interns were collateral damage.
公司裁员时，实习生成了附带伤害。
Cuando la empresa recortó plantilla, los becarios fueron daños colaterales.
会社がリストラした時、インターンたちは巻き添えだった。
회사가 구조조정할 때, 인턴들이 부수적 피해자였다.
Their messy divorce caused a lot of collateral damage among their friend group.
他们一团糟的离婚在朋友圈中造成了大量附带伤害。
Su divorcio turbulento causó muchos daños colaterales entre su grupo de amigos.
彼らの泥沼の離婚は、友人グループに大きなコラテラルダメージを与えた。
그들의 험악한 이혼은 친구 그룹에 큰 부수적 피해를 입혔다.
The new highway was necessary, but the small businesses it displaced were collateral damage.
新高速公路是必要的，但被它迫迁的小商铺成了附带伤害。
La nueva autopista era necesaria, pero los pequeños negocios que desplazó fueron daños colaterales.
新しい高速道路は必要だったが、それで潰れた小さな店は巻き添え被害だった。
새 고속도로는 필요했지만, 그로 인해 밀려난 소규모 상점들은 부수적 피해였다.

Pronunciación

Guía de uso

Contexto: military, politics, business, relationships

Tono: clinical, euphemistic

✓ Correcto

There was some collateral damage.
产生了一些附带伤害。
Hubo algunos daños colaterales.
There was some collateral damage.（多少の巻き添え被害があった。）
부수적 피해가 좀 있었다.
We need to minimize collateral damage.
我们需要把附带伤害降到最低。
Tenemos que minimizar los daños colaterales.
We need to minimize collateral damage.（巻き添え被害を最小限にする必要がある。）
부수적 피해를 최소화해야 해.

✗ Incorrecto

Using it lightly about actual war casualties can be offensive.
如果轻描淡写地用于实际的战争伤亡，可能会冒犯他人。
Usarlo a la ligera sobre bajas reales de guerra puede resultar ofensivo.
実際の戦争の犠牲者について軽々しく使うと不快に思われる。
실제 전쟁 사상자에 대해 가볍게 사용하면 불쾌감을 줄 수 있다.

Origen e historia

Military term popularized during the Vietnam War and especially the Gulf War (1991). Widely criticized as a euphemism that depersonalizes civilian casualties.

Contexto cultural

Era: 1960s–present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: All regions

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SNAFU ★★★★★ A mistake or problem; a chaotic situation. Roger that ★★★★★ Message received and understood; yes, I understand. MIA ★★★★★ Missing in Action; absent or unaccounted for. AWOL ★★★★★ Absent Without Official Leave; missing without permission. Dog tags ★★★★★ Military identification tags worn around the neck. Chain of command ★★★★★ The hierarchical structure of authority from top to bottom.