disastrous

adjective

di·​sas·​trous di-ˈza-strəs How to pronounce disastrous (audio)
also -ˈsa-
Synonyms of disastrousnext
1
: attended by or causing suffering or disaster : calamitous
a disastrous flood
2
: terrible, horrendous
a disastrous score
disastrously adverb

Examples of disastrous in a Sentence

Half the city was destroyed by a disastrous fire. The bad weather could have a disastrous effect on the area's tourism industry. His failure to back up the computer files had disastrous consequences. The strike was economically disastrous.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Already most of the food Cubans consume is imported following decades of their government’s disastrous agricultural policies. Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026 The war itself has been disastrous for Yemenis, but the thinking was that, broadly speaking, the two countries were aligned on that front. Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026 Glenn made a disastrous error and sat in 13th place after her short program in the women’s singles figure skating competition Tuesday at the Milan Cortina Games in Italy. Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Feb. 2026 Texas has quite the reputation for extreme weather, from excessive heat and dangerous freezes to disastrous hurricanes and deadly flooding. Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 16 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disastrous

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of disastrous was in 1594

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Cite this Entry

“Disastrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disastrous. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.

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