1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a calamitous decision to sell their products online exclusively ruined the business
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2
as in devastating
causing or tending to cause destruction
a calamitous flood that destroyed the town's central business district
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Recent Examples of calamitous
The Juniper Tree’s protagonist carries on in the face of maternal abuse, a scandalous out-of-wedlock pregnancy, and a series of calamitous events that expose the dark underside of domesticity.
—
Sara Krolewski, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
The first is likely to be the release of the Department of Economic and Community Development’s audit of the Blue Hills Civic Association‘s suddenly calamitous finances.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 3 Jan. 2026
That study—which had predicted a calamitous 62% decline in global economic output by 2100 if carbon emissions were not sufficiently reduced—was widely cited by transnational bodies and progressive political activists alike as justification for the pursuit of aggressive decarbonization.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
Proof would be his preposterously calamitous interception to Ernest Jones, who returned it 85 yards in the Seattle Seahawks’ 26-0 victory.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for calamitous
Sara Krolewski, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
The first is likely to be the release of the Department of Economic and Community Development’s audit of the Blue Hills Civic Association‘s suddenly calamitous finances.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 3 Jan. 2026
That study—which had predicted a calamitous 62% decline in global economic output by 2100 if carbon emissions were not sufficiently reduced—was widely cited by transnational bodies and progressive political activists alike as justification for the pursuit of aggressive decarbonization.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
Proof would be his preposterously calamitous interception to Ernest Jones, who returned it 85 yards in the Seattle Seahawks’ 26-0 victory.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for calamitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calamitous
Adjective
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The Chargers’ $262 million man fell to 0-3 in the playoffs, each of those defeats distinctly disastrous.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
13 Jan. 2026
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Purdy, rendered ineffective by a torn ligament in his right elbow on the opening drive against the Eagles in a disastrous NFC title game loss three seasons ago, completed all three passes for 74 yards and capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson.—
Dan Gelston,
Twin Cities,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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His co-owner and friend, Elia Carranza, described the loss as devastating.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Seattle famously did not hand off to star running back Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson’s pass was intercepted by Malcolm Butler, sealing a Patriots win and putting a devastating end to the Seahawks’ season.—
Jayna Bardahl,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The fatal shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer earlier this month proved to Carlson and other Minnesotans that the potential for danger as an observer was not abstract.—
Michael Williams,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
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Noem has been under increasing scrutiny following Saturday’s fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal authorities in Minneapolis.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Toni Preckwinkle has served the city of Chicago and Cook County ably throughout her long political career and done much to make life better for the unfortunate among us.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
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French Stewart played Harry Solomon, who was known for his odd posture, nervous energy, and the unfortunate fact that alien messages arrived through his head.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Wuthering Heights is a dark and gothic tale of destructive, obsessive, conflicting romance.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2026
-
This is destructive and absurd.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Brown’s primary worry is that the climate will continue to warm and the ice sheet in Greenland will continue to melt at its current rate, which could lead to a catastrophic rise in sea levels.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Jan. 2026
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Power outages still remain in the South following the catastrophic ice impacts of last weekend’s storm.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Calamitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calamitous. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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