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
Troy was the starting point of Odysseus’s calamitous 10-year westward voyage, with many detours and misadventures, to his kingdom of Ithaca.
—
Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
May 5 The king of the comedic rant, Jerry Seinfeld, is back with plenty of ammo about the joys of parenting, husbandry and calamitous current events — three separate topics that will demonstrate just how far civilization has gone down the tubes.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Earth has long been deemed safe from a calamitous collision with a certain small asteroid in 2032.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
With a calamitous season now in the books, the Damon Stoudamire era at Georgia Tech is over after only three seasons, the school announced Sunday.
—Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for calamitous
Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
May 5 The king of the comedic rant, Jerry Seinfeld, is back with plenty of ammo about the joys of parenting, husbandry and calamitous current events — three separate topics that will demonstrate just how far civilization has gone down the tubes.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Earth has long been deemed safe from a calamitous collision with a certain small asteroid in 2032.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
With a calamitous season now in the books, the Damon Stoudamire era at Georgia Tech is over after only three seasons, the school announced Sunday.
—Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for calamitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calamitous
Adjective
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This study marks the first to use that data to model climate as rising temperatures are expected to fuel more disastrous events, from marine heat waves that kill coral to droughts.—
Jenny Staletovich,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
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The next two decades were mostly disastrous.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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Our prayers continue for those in Congo who are facing this devastating epidemic and for the ongoing efforts to control the disease.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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Charles Crinklaw is trying to process the devastating loss suffered when a plane full of skydivers crashed Sunday in Butler, Missouri, killing everyone aboard.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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Drug dealers mix fentanyl, because of its potency and low cost, with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine, which increases the likelihood of a fatal dose, according to the DEA.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
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Other fatal skydiving crashes in Missouri Sunday’s crash was at least the fourth deadly skydiving incident in Missouri since 1998.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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This leaves the mid-market trapped in a dangerous wasteland, forced into destructive promotional cycles to protect foot traffic without possessing the scale to survive thin margins.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
17 June 2026
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The Big 12 insists that college athletes betting is destructive to the integrity of sports.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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So that was just an unfortunate situation, but everything’s OK.—
Zach Dean,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
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Getting into a dispute with your neighbor is an unfortunate but all-too-common predicament for many homeowners.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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During The Great Dying, massive volcanic eruptions triggered catastrophic climate changes that altered the planet’s entire biosphere.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
18 June 2026
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Only the United States was humiliated; both countries have experienced a catastrophic loss.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Calamitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calamitous. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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