disastrous
adjective
di·sas·trous
di-ˈza-strəs 
also -ˈsa-
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
Using the wrong type of fuel for your vehicle could have disastrous consequences.
—
Charles Singh, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Instead, Arsenal’s draws against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, though not disastrous results when analysed individually, combined with a surprising 3-2 home defeat to Manchester United on Sunday, have opened the door to the chasing pack.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Organizations are becoming increasingly dependent on AI in their processes and workflows, so if AI systems stop responding it can have disastrous repercussions.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors dropped all charges against Martinez and a co-defendant, Anthony Ruiz, just 15 days after Exum’s disastrous admissions.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disastrous
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.
Charles Singh, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Instead, Arsenal’s draws against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, though not disastrous results when analysed individually, combined with a surprising 3-2 home defeat to Manchester United on Sunday, have opened the door to the chasing pack.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Organizations are becoming increasingly dependent on AI in their processes and workflows, so if AI systems stop responding it can have disastrous repercussions.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors dropped all charges against Martinez and a co-defendant, Anthony Ruiz, just 15 days after Exum’s disastrous admissions.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disastrous
Cite this Entry
“Disastrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disastrous. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
