catastrophe

noun ca·tas·tro·phe \ kə-ˈtas-trə-(ˌ)fē \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Examples: catastrophe in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of catastrophe

plural catastrophes

1 : a momentous tragic event ranging from extreme misfortune to utter overthrow or ruin

Deforestation and erosion can lead to an ecological catastrophe.

2 : utter failure : fiasco

the party was a catastrophe

3 a : a violent and sudden change in a feature of the earth

b : a violent usually destructive natural event (such as a supernova)

4 : the final event of the dramatic action especially of a tragedy

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catastrophic

play \ˌka-tə-ˈsträ-fik\ adjective

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catastrophically

play \-fi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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Examples of catastrophe in a Sentence

The oil spill was an environmental catastrophe.
Experts fear a humanitarian catastrophe if food isn't delivered to the refugees soon.
an area on the brink of catastrophe

Recent Examples of catastrophe from the Web

The brigades are regrouping amid political talks aimed at averting what aid groups warn would be a catastrophe if food and medical supplies can’t move through the port.

— asa fitch, WSJ, "With Much at Stake in Yemen Port, Coalition Puts Advance on Hold," 8 July 2018
If love is sometimes messy, breaking up is a full-on catastrophe.

— henry youtt, Billboard, "8 Lyrics from Years & Years' 'Palo Santo' to Get Over Your Exes," 6 July 2018
The day kicked off with a bit of a cake catastrophe when a bid to create the world’s biggest Welsh cake suffered a setback when some of the confection tumbled from its cooker.

— simon perry, PEOPLE.com, "Naughty Ponies and Flipped Cakes! Proof That Prince Charles and Camilla Have the Most Fun on Royal Tours," 3 July 2018
Had barely been home an hour from dealing with water damage catastrophe at the Buck O'Neil Ctr.

— mark davis, kansascity, "Crews clean up flooded Buck O’Neil Research and Education Center after vandals strike," 23 June 2018
For one thing, the reclamation is an ecological catastrophe.

— The Economist, "China has militarised the South China Sea and got away with it," 21 June 2018
And if so, what needs to be done to guard against more catastrophe?

— luke broadwater, baltimoresun.com, "It could cost $85 million to make Ellicott City safer from flooding — but that still wouldn't eliminate the threat. Should the historic town be rebuilt?," 1 June 2018
Sonoma County The fires were a catastrophe shared by Napa and Sonoma counties, but the greatest damage was done in Santa Rosa, Sonoma’s biggest city.

— christopher reynolds, ajc, "Napa Valley reboot: After the fires," 1 Feb. 2018
Trips are rarely beset by the catastrophes that plague the basket-case that is the Red Line.

— yvonne abraham, BostonGlobe.com, "The MBTA isn’t making any friends with parking fee hikes," 23 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'catastrophe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

When English speakers first borrowed the Greek word catastrophe in the 1500s, they used it for the conclusion or final event of a dramatic work, especially of a tragedy. By the early 1600s, "catastrophe" was being used more generally of any generally unhappy conclusion or disastrous or ruinous end. By the 18th century, "catastrophe" had come to denote truly devastating events, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Finally, it came to be applied to things that are only figuratively catastrophic - burnt dinners, lost luggage, really bad movies, etc.