catastrophe

noun

kə-ˈta-strə-(ˌ)fē How to pronounce catastrophe (audio)
Definition of catastrophenext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in failure
something that has failed the movie was a catastrophe, nearly bankrupting the studio that produced it

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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 catastrophe Healthcare registers the effects of climate catastrophes, ecosystem failures and food shortages that also fuel political and social crises. — Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Emergency specialists warn that Venezuela lacks the institutional capacity and disaster-management infrastructure typically needed to handle a catastrophe of this scale, particularly amid years of economic collapse and institutional erosion. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026 Besides an economic lifeline, tatreez has provided her with a bridge to the land her parents fled during the 1948 mass displacement that Palestinians call their Nakba, or catastrophe. — ABC News, 30 June 2026 For many in La Guaira, the current devastation brings back traumatic memories of the previous catastrophe. — Ted Scouten, CBS News, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for catastrophe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophe
  1. disaster
  2. failure
  3. tragedy
  4. apocalypse
  5. calamity
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
  • Any actions against those responsible for the structural failure are pending the results of the ongoing investigation, the Department of Buildings said earlier this week.
    — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • The notion of remaining in your childhood home well into your adult years carries an enduring stigma, suggesting a failure to launch.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 11 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 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
  • Closing the Manhattan Bridge, diverting traffic, and managing the safety of staging a zombie apocalypse downtown required the cooperation and manpower of multiple agencies with their own sets of pressing priorities and responsibilities.
    — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 30 June 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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Cite this Entry

“Catastrophe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophe. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on catastrophe

Nglish: Translation of catastrophe for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about catastrophe

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