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

Synonyms of disastrous

• fatal
• unfortunate
• catastrophic

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

And as someone who has done this a long time, Musselman understands that the responsibility for the team’s disastrous stretch run ultimately falls squarely on his shoulders. —Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026

Now, Baker will look to help fix what was a disastrous interior offensive line for Texas last season. —David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 9 Mar. 2026

Does Craig Berube get another chance after a disastrous season? —Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026

Noem’s dissmissal comes after she was berated by lawmakers on Capitol Hill over a series of disastrous blunders by her department, including the killings of two American citizens by border patrol agents in Minneapolis and apparent attempts by DHS to stifle investigations into the shootings. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1