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 That endpoint is today, in what will be the last hotfix in Destiny 2 history, barring anything utterly catastrophic. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 The powerful winds are capable of causing catastrophic damage to structures while downing trees and power lines, and producing prolonged power outages. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 The department said the whale strike caused catastrophic damage to the boat, which immediately began taking on water, giving firefighters only seconds to abandon the vessel. — Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026 The catastrophic Woodstock ’99 began at the old Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York. — USA Today, 7 July 2026 Leonid Kuchma announces that the Chernobyl nuclear power station, site of a catastrophic accident in 1986, will be closed down completely. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026 Gustavo Dudamel’s farewell to Los Angeles will also function as a benefit for his homeland of Venezuela, which suffered catastrophic losses from twin earthquakes in late June. — Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket—also owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos—is out of service after a catastrophic explosion on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral in late May. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 7 July 2026 Major personal injury firms have invested heavily in the infrastructure needed to handle large commercial vehicle and catastrophic injury cases, including in-house accident reconstruction, medical expert networks and trial presentation technology. — Karen Koehler, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophic
  1. disastrous
  2. fatal
  3. unfortunate
Adjective
  • The last time Rushing caught Ohtani, the pitcher took over pitch-calling after a disastrous second inning against the Twins last week.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • Since his disastrous tenure with the New York Yankees from 2016 to 2022, which included a suspension for violating MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy, Chapman has worked to turn around his career.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • Although most people recover from Legionnaires' disease with antibiotics, certain patients -- including those who are immunocompromised or who suffer from chronic lung diseases -- can develop complications that can be fatal.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • The Grand Prairie Police Department is investigating a fatal crash in which a passenger vehicle hit a pedestrian.
    — Mary Ella Hastings July 6, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • For many women, painful periods are treated as an unfortunate but normal part of life.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • Instead, the meddling radiated corruption over due process of an unfortunate but longstanding rule that has remedies seldom invoked in the middle of the World Cup.
    — Vahe Gregorian July 7, Kansas City Star, 7 July 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 10 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on catastrophic

Nglish: Translation of catastrophic for Spanish Speakers

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