CALAMITY Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

calamity

noun

kə-ˈla-mə-tē

Definition of calamity

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

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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 Further calamity struck in June 2023 when floodwaters inundated the town due to a dam collapse. — ABC News, 26 Oct. 2026 Eisenkot, who lost a son and two nephews to fighting in Gaza, has been particularly unsparing in his criticism, repeatedly hammering Netanyahu for refusing to take any accountability for the calamity. — Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026 In Eatontown, Daunt got out of the car in a strip mall, to contemplate a mild calamity. — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 The toxic loans were also packaged and peddled around the world to banks everywhere, resulting in a calamity. — Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for calamity

Recent Examples of Synonyms for calamity

Noun

Spain’s second high-speed rail disaster this year, in which one train struck another from behind, killing 69 people, has raised fresh concerns about the safety of the country’s rail network ahead of a national election.

— Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
The new rail disaster can't help the prospects of his Socialist party.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of disaster

Noun

Since Benson and her co-authors met in Oviedo, weather catastrophes have multiplied, oceans have acidified and the amount of carbon in the atmosphere has soared.

— Katie Worth, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2026
But this latest catastrophe could clip the wings of any comeback.

— Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of catastrophe

Noun

Across medicine, physicians need support to carry the profound emotional burdens of helping patients and families through tragedy.

— Robert M. Kinast, STAT, 3 Nov. 2026
Many workplaces can identify warning signs early and potentially stop a tragedy while also taking additional steps.

— Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of tragedy

Noun

There are some apocalypses, the song seems to suggest, where no redemptive beauty can be found.

— Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
As critics have noted, though both Soares and Yudkowsky have spent much time fretting about an AI apocalypse, there’s no consensus that such a future is even possible — let alone probable.

— Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of apocalypse

Browse Nearby Words

calamitous

calamity

calash

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Style

“Calamity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calamity. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of calamity

noun

Example Sentences

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