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
After a catastrophic debris strike destroys their shuttle during a spacewalk, Sandra Bullock’s astronaut is left untethered, spinning silently against the vastness of space, while George Clooney’s veteran astronaut tries to guide her from a distance.
—
Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Conversely, every era of catastrophic government failure—the late Roman Republic, the Thirty Years’ War, the collapse of Weimar Germany—witnessed a period in which elites decided that process was a mere suggestion and that their own judgment was sufficient cause to ignore it.
—Anthony Scaramucci, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
However, the attack on Ras Laffan in Qatar and the wider threats to other energy infrastructure in the Gulf have the potential on their own to be catastrophic for a number of reasons.
—Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
Rebuilt after the catastrophic 1693 earthquake, the most powerful in Italian history, the town produced Sicilian Baroque so magnificent that eight towns earned UNESCO status in 2002.
—Jenn Rice, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2026
Though worrisome, the math is far from catastrophic.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
The protections for Haitians were first granted in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake and have been extended multiple times amid ongoing gang violence that has displaced more than a million people, according to court documents.
—Arkansas Online, 17 Mar. 2026
In 2022, catastrophic flooding caused one of the main entrances to Yellowstone to close for an extended period.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
Another catastrophic collapse of Cuba's electricity grid yesterday left nearly 11 million people without power.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 17 Mar. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Conversely, every era of catastrophic government failure—the late Roman Republic, the Thirty Years’ War, the collapse of Weimar Germany—witnessed a period in which elites decided that process was a mere suggestion and that their own judgment was sufficient cause to ignore it.
—Anthony Scaramucci, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
However, the attack on Ras Laffan in Qatar and the wider threats to other energy infrastructure in the Gulf have the potential on their own to be catastrophic for a number of reasons.
—Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
Rebuilt after the catastrophic 1693 earthquake, the most powerful in Italian history, the town produced Sicilian Baroque so magnificent that eight towns earned UNESCO status in 2002.
—Jenn Rice, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2026
Though worrisome, the math is far from catastrophic.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
The protections for Haitians were first granted in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake and have been extended multiple times amid ongoing gang violence that has displaced more than a million people, according to court documents.
—Arkansas Online, 17 Mar. 2026
In 2022, catastrophic flooding caused one of the main entrances to Yellowstone to close for an extended period.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
Another catastrophic collapse of Cuba's electricity grid yesterday left nearly 11 million people without power.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophic
Adjective
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Each hot run was countered by a disastrous stretch for seemingly everyone.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
15 Mar. 2026
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But two disastrous seasons followed that campaign, with the Hurricanes going a combined 22-41 in 2023-24 and 2024-25.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The killing is Kansas City’s 27th homicide of 2026, which lines up exactly with the 27 homicides the city had seen at this time last year, according to data kept by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.—
Nathan Pilling
March 17,
Kansas City Star,
18 Mar. 2026
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Investigators argued the fatal poisoning was not the first attempt on Eric Richins’ life.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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One bad matchup, one bad shooting night, one unfortunate stretch of five minutes can define a season’s ending.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
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And there are a slew of new candidates for the blood cannon in Ready or Not 2, whose baddies are a more wide-ranging lot than the Le Domases, the game-company-owning clan that Grace (Samara Weaving) is unfortunate enough to marry into in the original Ready or Not.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophic. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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