Synonyms of cataclysmal

cataclysmal

adjective

variants or cataclysmic

1

as in disastrous

bringing about ruin or misfortune

a cataclysmal decision to plunge the nation into war

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disastrous
• fatal
• unfortunate
• catastrophic
• destructive
• damning
• ruinous
• fateful
• calamitous
• apocalyptic
• damaging
• harmful
• detrimental
• pernicious
• adverse
• hapless
• deleterious
• evil
• injurious
• luckless
• hurtful
• prejudicial
• ill-fated
• baneful
• ill-starred
• noxious
• baleful
• ill

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• happy
• lucky
• fortunate
• fortuitous
• providential
• fair
• optimistic
• golden
• promising
• bright
• encouraging
• hopeful
• fluky
• propitious
• rosy
• upbeat
• auspicious
• heartening
• rose-colored

2

as in devastating

causing or tending to cause destruction

a cataclysmal landslide that virtually wiped out the village

Synonyms & Similar Words

• devastating
• devastative
• disastrous
• destructive
• annihilatory
• ruinous
• deadly
• poisonous
• lethal
• fatal
• calamitous
• fell
• murderous
• antibiotic
• killer
• harmful
• virulent
• detrimental
• pernicious
• biocidal
• deleterious
• mortal
• vital
• baleful
• deathly
• pestilent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• protective
• nondestructive
• creative
• productive
• constructive
• useful
• helpful
• harmless
• formative
• innocent
• innocuous
• healthy
• preservative
• healthful
• wholesome
• inoffensive
• ameliorative
• nonlethal
• nonfatal
• salubrious

3

as in turbulent

marked by sudden or violent disturbance

the French Revolution was one of the great cataclysmal events in modern history

Synonyms & Similar Words

• turbulent
• tumultuous
• convulsive
• stormy
• sporadic
• spasmodic
• tempestuous
• boisterous
• noisy
• riotous
• furious
• fitful
• clamorous

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• peaceful
• calm
• undisturbed
• tranquil
• serene
• unperturbed
• placid
• untroubled
• unshaken

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cataclysmal

These cataclysmic explosions spray intense radiation and beams of energy through the universe at close to the speed of light. — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Eliot’s breadth and ambition and energy in painting a picture of a society in the midst of cataclysmic change is astounding. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 20 Oct. 2026

Washburn even puts some of the exact words into Jeanie’s mouth that George used, to more harrowing effect, in her own cataclysmic climax. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026

The impact created the 120-mile-wide (190 km) Chicxulub crater in a cataclysmic event that drove mass extinctions across the planet, eliminating nearly three-quarters of the species that thrived on Earth until that time. — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Some of the most cataclysmic events in the cosmos, such as mergers of supermassive black holes, should produce a very specific gravitational wave signature, according to general relativity. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2026

Several of the researchers who spoke to NBC News said that humans could leverage AI systems to inflict cataclysmic damage well before recursive self-improvement materializes. — Jared Perlo, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2026

The diagnosis is cataclysmic, bringing Sandra’s career to an abrupt close. — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026

In 2026, how reasonable are fears that AI, either by escaping human control or through misuse by unscrupulous people, could cause a cataclysmic event or the downfall of civilization? — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026