accidentally
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accidentally on purpose
Seemingly unintentionally but actually deliberately. Sometimes hyphenated. Paula is pretty shy, so I think she forgot to attend the party accidentally on purpose. Ella also has a crush on Ben, so I bet she "forgot" to give you his message accidentally on purpose! I might have accidentally-on-purpose put your résumé on the top of the pile so my boss would see it first.
on purpose
With deliberate intention; not accidentally. I bet you he left his report card here on purpose so we would compliment him on his grades. I don't understand—why would you run into the bumper of another car on purpose? Did you do it on purpose, or was it an accident?
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
accidentally-on-purpose
Inf. deliberate, but meant to look like an accident. Then, I accidentally-on-purpose spilled water on him.
on purpose
intentionally; in a way that is meant or intended; not an accident. The bully stepped on my foot on purpose. Jealously, Jimmy destroyed Billy's sand castle on purpose.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
on purpose
1. Deliberately, intentionally, as in He left the photo out of the story on purpose. Shakespeare's use of this idiom was among the earliest; it appears in The Comedy of Errors (4:3): "On purpose shut the doors against his way."
2. accidentally on purpose. Seemingly accidentally but actually deliberately, as in She stepped on his foot accidentally on purpose. This generally jocular phrase was first recorded in 1862.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
accidentally on purpose
apparently by accident but in fact intentionally. humorousFarlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
acciˌdentally on ˈpurpose
(informal, ironic) intending to do something, but wanting to appear to have done it by accident: ‘We’d just finished our meal when John realized he’d accidentally left his chequebook at home.’ ‘Accidentally on purpose, you mean!’on ˈpurpose
deliberately: He took the worst jobs he could find on purpose, and then wrote a book about his experiences. ♢ Don’t shout at me like that. I didn’t break it on purpose.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
accidentally-on-purpose
mod. deliberate, but meant to look like an accident. Then I accidentally-on-purpose spilled water on him.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
on purpose
Intentionally; deliberately.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.