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

Merz's party was projected to be hit with a disastrous result in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026

While the President tries to distract Americans from his disastrous war in Iran, gas prices keep soaring. — Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2026

The party of German’s unpopular leader, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, was set for a disastrous result in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. — Geir Moulson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

The party of German's unpopular leader, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, was set for a disastrous result in the the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. — ABC News, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1