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catastrophic

adjective

as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune a catastrophic tornado destroyed the hamlet's only house of worship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 catastrophic An ugly game-ending arm injury suffered by Washington starting quarterback Jayden Daniels on the final play of the first half, which caused Fox Sports analyst Tom Brady to curse on air, had a catastrophic effect on the Commanders’ chances. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2026 These findings meaningfully raise the odds of either a massive settlement and licensing deal or, failing that, a Times victory at trial that would be catastrophic for the defendants and enormously remunerative for the plaintiff. — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026 Old levees and dams, for example, can leave a community vulnerable to catastrophic flooding, as the Seattle area saw in December 2025 when flooding from heavy rainfall broke levees in multiple communities. — Bethany Tietjen, The Conversation, 21 Sep. 2026 Just last month, a catastrophic glacier collapse and flood in Nepal killed more than 1,300 people and left thousands missing, with scientists concluding that climate change made the conditions behind the disaster more likely. — Marcene Mitchell, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026 What is happening in Gaza is a catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. — CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026 What is is happening in Gaza is catastrophic, unjustifiable, and disproportionate. — Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 20 Sep. 2026 What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. — Brie Stimson , Kelley Kramer, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026 The same work found that climate change has already doubled the likelihood of a catastrophic California flood. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophic
  1. disastrous
  2. fatal
  3. unfortunate
Adjective
  • Still, by the time the meeting ended, aldermen had agreed the new terms made the disastrous 2008 privatization of the city’s once-public system a little bit better.
    — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Undeterred, the press has continued to publish damning reports about his chaotic management of the Pentagon at home and the US military’s disastrous conduct overseas.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • After 16 months of radiation and chemotherapy, a September 2025 scan showed the cancer had spread to his spinal cord, a condition called leptomeningeal disease that usually proves fatal within a few months.
    — Arthur Allen, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • None of the 10 students riding to Wyandotte High School on Monday morning were injured when gunfire struck their school bus during a fatal dispute.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • One of these evils had the mass murder of civilians as its intended goal; the other claims that its victims are unfortunate accidents.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • But those who get too close risk far more than a soaking, as Niagara is a graveyard for the reckless, the unfortunate and the desperate.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfortunate

Browse Nearby Words

catastrophes
catastrophic
catatonic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Catastrophic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophic. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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