A near miss
Meaning
An event where a dangerous situation was narrowly avoided.
Origin
The phrase "a near miss" precisely captures that heart-stopping moment when disaster hovers inches away, only to veer off at the last second. While the concept of narrowly avoiding danger is as old as humanity, the specific phrase gained traction and became institutionalized with the advent of high-speed travel, particularly in the 20th century. Air traffic controllers and maritime navigators began to use "near miss" as a technical term to describe incidents where aircraft or ships came perilously close to colliding, but managed to avert catastrophe. It implies a situation so close that it felt like a collision, yet ultimately, it was a miss—a fortunate one, indeed. This concrete, operational usage cemented its place in our lexicon, reminding us that sometimes, the greatest relief comes from what almost happened.
Examples
- The two planes flew so close to each other that air traffic control reported it as a near miss.
- I swerved just in time to avoid the deer, making it a terrifying near miss on the highway.