Synonyms of catastrophe

catastrophe

noun

kə-ˈta-strə-(ˌ)fē 

1

as in disaster

a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction

more than one natural catastrophe has threatened to destroy their farm over the years

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disaster
• tragedy
• apocalypse
• calamity
• collapse
• accident
• crash
• debacle
• cataclysm
• fatality
• casualty
• upheaval
• meltdown
• Armageddon
• misfortune
• doomsday
• convulsion
• bloodbath
• blow
• mishap
• paroxysm
• misadventure
• end-time
• mischance
• double whammy
• blast
• one-two

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• windfall
• manna
• godsend

2

as in failure

something that has failed

the movie was a catastrophe, nearly bankrupting the studio that produced it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disaster
• failure
• disappointment
• fiasco
• loser
• bust
• bomb
• shipwreck
• debacle
• washout
• flop
• mess
• miss
• frost
• lemon
• dud
• fizzle
• turkey
• clunker
• bummer
• clinker
• has-been
• dog
• shambles
• botch
• also-ran
• hash
• near miss
• nonevent
• muddle
• nonstarter

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• success
• hit
• winner
• blockbuster
• phenomenon
• smash
• corker
• crackerjack
• dandy
• jim-dandy

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of catastrophe

The house and its owners’ story remains one of the few bright spots in a catastrophe whose scale is still growing. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026

But climate change's role in melting the glacier and causing the catastrophe is unclear. — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026

The men gathered saw a nefarious opportunity and turned catastrophe into an enormous windfall. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026

Scientists trace the catastrophe to a Himalayan bedrock and glacier collapse that unleashed a torrent of ice, rock and water, obliterating hydropower projects, roads and villages across the high border region. — Shristi Kafle, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

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