1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a calamitous decision to sell their products online exclusively ruined the business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of calamitous
Despite a calamitous financial outlook, its share price has shown resiliency — soaring to an all-time high of almost $500 last month before falling back to around $422 this morning after the Q4 reveal.
—
Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 29 Jan. 2026
No one can predict how calamitous this could be.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
In a message posted on its website, SXSW Sydney confirmed that the event has been canceled, in a further blow to the arts and culture scene in Australia that is reeling from the calamitous cancellation of Adelaide Writers Week on Tuesday.
—Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 14 Jan. 2026
Advertisement Adams’s 2004 novel The Religion War tells the story of a man trying to stop a calamitous war between Christians and Muslims.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for calamitous
Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 29 Jan. 2026
No one can predict how calamitous this could be.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
In a message posted on its website, SXSW Sydney confirmed that the event has been canceled, in a further blow to the arts and culture scene in Australia that is reeling from the calamitous cancellation of Adelaide Writers Week on Tuesday.
—Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 14 Jan. 2026
Advertisement Adams’s 2004 novel The Religion War tells the story of a man trying to stop a calamitous war between Christians and Muslims.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for calamitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calamitous
Adjective
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That was what Ilia Malinin endured on Friday night, when his disastrous free skate ruined his chances for gold.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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With the women’s slalom coming Wednesday, the results have been mostly disappointing for Shiffrin, who was looking to bounce back from a disastrous performance at the Beijing Olympics four years ago.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Ellen Rudolph and her husband, Steve Lewis, were still trying to repair their Pacific Palisades home and rebuild their lives after last year’s fires when, two months later, the devastating news came.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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In early 2025, Isom also had to navigate the tragedy of Flight 5342 — the devastating midair collision at Reagan National caused by a wayward military helicopter, through no fault of American’s.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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That comment came during after-school fodder just days following the fatal shooting of Renee Good.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Two days after a fatal shooting inside a Kansas City nightclub, prosecutors have charged a Kansas City, Kansas, man with two counts of second-degree murder.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And that’s how the forward ended up under a too-bright light at the end of this season, burdened with the unfortunate responsibility of being one of the few players the front office felt was worth investing in long term.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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After Ellis’ unfortunate and sudden passing in 1986, Marc Jacobs was named creative director of the brand in 1988.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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One of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history, the Palisades fire burned 23,448 acres and destroyed much of the exclusive Pacific Palisades community, destroying about 6,800 structures and killing 12 people.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
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The company’s storm costs included $800 million for Hurricane Helene, the most destructive storm in utility history.—
Drew Kann,
AJC.com,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Survivors of the catastrophic avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada that claimed at least eight lives were rescued after using an emergency feature available on some iPhones.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
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General catastrophizing Some people are naturally prone to anxiety and overthinking everything—like a work typo, or a throwaway joke that now feels catastrophic.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Calamitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calamitous. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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