as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a catastrophic tornado destroyed the hamlet's only house of worship
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Recent Examples of catastrophic
This sympathetic surge is caused by the release of noradrenaline, which, in the context of cancer, has catastrophic consequences.
—
Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
Jerome Powell, the Fed’s current chair, made a choice to avert a catastrophic economic crash during the COVID-19 pandemic, accepting the risk of a bout of inflation.
—Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
For nearly two months, Mayor Karen Bass has repeatedly denied that she was involved in altering an after-action report on the Palisades fire to downplay failures by the city and the Los Angeles Fire Department in combating the catastrophic blaze.
—Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
When children absorb the message that failure is catastrophic, even minor mistakes can feel unbearable.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Below $50,000, and miners could be forced to close up shop, accompanied by a catastrophic sell-off for precious metals like gold.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 4 Feb. 2026
And that’s got to come with a catastrophic amount of guilt.
—Jack King, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
As wildfire-prone regions continue to get drier and warmer, Kenney said utilities are increasingly using the strategy to reduce the risk of catastrophic fires.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2026
Days later, Padilla Vélez suffered a catastrophic stroke caused by a bullet fragment and died, according to the outlets.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
Jerome Powell, the Fed’s current chair, made a choice to avert a catastrophic economic crash during the COVID-19 pandemic, accepting the risk of a bout of inflation.
—Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
For nearly two months, Mayor Karen Bass has repeatedly denied that she was involved in altering an after-action report on the Palisades fire to downplay failures by the city and the Los Angeles Fire Department in combating the catastrophic blaze.
—Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
When children absorb the message that failure is catastrophic, even minor mistakes can feel unbearable.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Below $50,000, and miners could be forced to close up shop, accompanied by a catastrophic sell-off for precious metals like gold.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 4 Feb. 2026
And that’s got to come with a catastrophic amount of guilt.
—Jack King, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
As wildfire-prone regions continue to get drier and warmer, Kenney said utilities are increasingly using the strategy to reduce the risk of catastrophic fires.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2026
Days later, Padilla Vélez suffered a catastrophic stroke caused by a bullet fragment and died, according to the outlets.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophic
Adjective
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That was what Ilia Malinin endured on Friday night, when his disastrous free skate ruined his chances for gold.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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With the women’s slalom coming Wednesday, the results have been mostly disappointing for Shiffrin, who was looking to bounce back from a disastrous performance at the Beijing Olympics four years ago.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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That comment came during after-school fodder just days following the fatal shooting of Renee Good.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Two days after a fatal shooting inside a Kansas City nightclub, prosecutors have charged a Kansas City, Kansas, man with two counts of second-degree murder.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And that’s how the forward ended up under a too-bright light at the end of this season, burdened with the unfortunate responsibility of being one of the few players the front office felt was worth investing in long term.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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After Ellis’ unfortunate and sudden passing in 1986, Marc Jacobs was named creative director of the brand in 1988.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophic. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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