CATASTROPHE Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

catastrophe

noun

kə-ˈta-strə-(ˌ)fē

Definition of catastrophe

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in failure

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

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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 catastrophe Glenn will call defensive plays after the Steve Wilks experiment as defensive coordinator lasted just 14 games and ended in catastrophe. — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 16 July 2026 Beirut Fragments is less a memoir of survival than one of endurance, as survival implies an intactness on the far side of catastrophe—a wholeness that often exists only in the eyes of others. — Literary Hub, 14 July 2026 Cruise portrays Digger Rockwell, an eccentric oil magnate whose decisions put the world on the brink of catastrophe, ultimately compelling him to embark on an improbable mission to rescue humanity. — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026 The previous one, the French Open, had turned into a catastrophe. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 12 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for catastrophe

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophe

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

Given Zidane won the Champions League in three successive years as coach of Real Madrid, anything less than victory at the European Championship in 2028 will be considered a failure.

— James Horncastle, New York Times, 19 July 2026
At the time he was arrested, authorities had issued a separate warrant for Milton stemming from his failure to appear in court and alleged curfew violations in a retail theft case, court records show.

— Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026

Definition of failure

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 rest of the season followed suit, delivering Teri's (Enuka Okuma) apocalypse story, and so much more.

— Samantha Highfill, Entertainment Weekly, 6 July 2026
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

Definition of apocalypse

Noun

To say everything went wrong would be to undersell the scope of the calamity.

— Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 7 July 2026
The operation was a testament to the growing effectiveness of a multinational collection of urban search-and-rescue squads — known as USAR — that have become ubiquitous life-savers at epicenters of calamity across the globe.

— Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026

Definition of calamity

Browse Nearby Words

cat (around)

catastrophe

catastrophes

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“Catastrophe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophe. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of catastrophe

noun

Example Sentences

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