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

Long before cell phones, the internet, or instant communications, the storm struck almost without warning and at a disastrous time of day, especially in the Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, metro areas. —Doyle Rice, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026

This can be disastrous for a computational application that requires that all mathematical operations be performed correctly. —Big Think, 24 Feb. 2026

What’s the prognosis for the economy if AI turns out to be fantastic for profits and disastrous for demand? —Diane Brady, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026

However, the move proved to be disastrous. —Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1