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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 Haroldhurst has already lived through an Old Testament calamity. — Laura Regensdorf, Architectural Digest, 5 Aug. 2026 All the more reason why calamity ensues and the drama continues to level up. — Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026 Yoon drew extensively on these themes in his earlier works—most recently in the novel Run Me to Earth and the Story Prize–winning collection The Hive and the Honey—and his oeuvre depicts war’s psychological and material calamities. — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 But his avuncular encouragement of Tony in what could be absolute folly brings real heart to this section — until calamity intrudes. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for calamity

Recent Examples of Synonyms for calamity

Noun

The club was rebuilding after the 1958 Munich air disaster but won a first post-Munich trophy, the FA Cup, earlier that year.

— Andy Mitten, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
In nearby Anderson in Madison County, Indiana, the mayor declared a local disaster emergency and issued evacuation orders Thursday along the swelling White River and other waterways.

— Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of disaster

Noun

Massive crude stockpiles before the war helped prevent catastrophe when supply dried up.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
As the summer of 2001 wears on through the lens of Kopple’s camera, our knowledge of the coming catastrophe casts a shadow over the proceedings.

— Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of catastrophe

Noun

Officials say Monday's tragedy is far from an isolated incident and are urging the public to slow down and pay attention.

— Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Through rapid-fire verbal repartee, constant close-ups, and frantic cuts, Deramas treads a careful line between tragedy and comedy, the latter a psychological weapon against the former.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of tragedy

Noun

Worried about the dog in the sci-fi apocalypse thriller The End of Oak Street?

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026
But now, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is pushing back against the predictions of a job apocalypse once made by his fellow tech CEOs, including Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and OpenAI’s Sam Altman.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of apocalypse

Browse Nearby Words

calamitous

calamity

calash

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Calamity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calamity. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of calamity

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on calamity

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

lackadaisical

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes