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
After a disastrous conversation, Bear ends up making the wish himself, breaking the stick and wishing that Nikki would love him more than anyone else in the world, his caution obliterated by emotion.
—
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 23 May 2026
Fire Country's fourth season culminates in a disastrous flood following the fire at the Pineville Dam.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 23 May 2026
The chemical storage tank at GKN Aerospace began malfunctioning on Thursday rose to dangerous levels Friday and into Saturday while crews attempted to head off a disastrous explosion and tens of thousands of residents remained under evacuation orders.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 23 May 2026
Not likely, especially as Emilia has inherited his disastrous boozing habits.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 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.
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 23 May 2026
Fire Country's fourth season culminates in a disastrous flood following the fire at the Pineville Dam.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 23 May 2026
The chemical storage tank at GKN Aerospace began malfunctioning on Thursday rose to dangerous levels Friday and into Saturday while crews attempted to head off a disastrous explosion and tens of thousands of residents remained under evacuation orders.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 23 May 2026
Not likely, especially as Emilia has inherited his disastrous boozing habits.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 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 28 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
