calamity

noun

kə-ˈla-mə-tē How to pronounce calamity (audio)
Definition of calamitynext
as in disaster
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction this latest breakdown of the car is inconvenient, but not a calamity

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of calamity To grade the 50 states and the District of Columbia on their relative natural disaster risks, five measures were developed that account for the frequency and damage of calamities, weighted against population and geographic size. — Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 21 June 2026 The calamity is the deadliest crash involving a B-52 bomber since 1982. — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 17 June 2026 In early times, most humans barely paid attention to weather calamities because the region was so sparsely populated. — Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2026 In the face of disaster the friends, both alums of Parsons School of Design and board members, decided to see the calamity as a positive. — Kathryn Romeyn, Architectural Digest, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for calamity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calamity
  1. disaster
  2. catastrophe
  3. tragedy
  4. apocalypse
Noun
  • Daniel had arrived back in Venezuela the day of the disaster, after being deported from the United States.
    — Susana Erazo, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • The discrepancy is even more apparent when analyzing major disaster declarations based on presidential elections.
    — David A. Lieb, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • In the work of fiction, the ship is taken over to prevent catastrophe.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026
  • The young girls are referred to as Heaven’s 27 by their surviving families, who are determined to honor their legacy by ensuring such a catastrophe never happens again.
    — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • Delivery had been delayed as the city grappled with the tragedy, a small but unforgettable reminder that Atlanta’s celebration had changed overnight.
    — Andrea Clement, AJC.com, 17 July 2026
  • Yellowstone sees the most deaths during the tourist months running from May through October, with July featuring nearly 25 percent of all recorded tragedies.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 July 2026
Definition of tragedy
Noun
  • The same year, another, longer-running TV version focused on the story of survivors after an alien apocalypse that had wiped out most of the Earth's population.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 4 July 2026
  • Closing the Manhattan Bridge, diverting traffic, and managing the safety of staging a zombie apocalypse downtown required the cooperation and manpower of multiple agencies with their own sets of pressing priorities and responsibilities.
    — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 30 June 2026
Definition of apocalypse

Browse Nearby Words

calamitous
calamity
calash
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Calamity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calamity. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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