Synonyms of catastrophic

catastrophic

adjective

as in disastrous

bringing about ruin or misfortune

a catastrophic tornado destroyed the hamlet's only house of worship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of catastrophic

Mount Krakatoa, an island volcano in what is now Indonesia, entered its catastrophic eruption phase. — USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026

The new setting hinges on those three revelations turning catastrophic. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026

Haunted by the trauma of the events, Daron Kavillio (Raz) and the other fighters embark on a deadly race to stop a catastrophic attack on Israel, forcing them to confront the true cost of warn after war. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026

The trigger is a loss-of-control scenario, which the bill defines as a system taking actions its developer did not intend, at a scale that risks catastrophic harm. — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Don’t take the chance of returning to the trenches, possibly suffering a catastrophic injury that could potentially put you in a wheelchair for life. — Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026

The fire caused catastrophic damage to the church, including the collapse of its roof. — Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026

Although engineers successfully tested the revolutionary reactor, the project was ultimately canceled in 1964 as ballistic missiles emerged as a more practical, and less environmentally catastrophic alternative. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026

While this kind of catastrophic outcome is rarely caught on camera, federal data suggests similar moments may be common. — Brian Mann, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026