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
For patients weighing the long-term implications of starting, stopping or cycling on and off these medications, the review suggests the metabolic stakes of regain may be less catastrophic than feared.
—
Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026
Kenneth Bass is one of thousands of residents and business owners suing the city of Los Angeles and other entities over property loss and other damages suffered during the catastrophic Palisades fire.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Missing coverage had catastrophic consequences, so eyes-on became a way to protect the business.
—Krish Kumar, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Investigators determined the remnants of the Lachman Fire were rekindled by catastrophic Santa Ana winds, which likely rekindled embers that led to the Palisades Fire beginning near the same location.
—Jasmine Viel, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Federal authorities are executing a search warrant at a Southern California facility where fears of a catastrophic explosion over a failing chemical tank led to tens of thousands of people being ordered to evacuate last month, according to federal officials.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 10 June 2026
The systematic dismantling of USAID has led to catastrophic humanitarian situations in Africa, including hampering the global response to the current Ebola outbreak.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Aerosolized particles can range from a few nanometers to several tens of micrometers, which could make a quick squirt of deodorant or hairspray a catastrophic event.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 10 June 2026
The prospect of flying Artemis III next year was further clouded by the May 28 explosion of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket at the vehicle’s only launch pad in Florida, causing catastrophic damage to the facilities there.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026
Kenneth Bass is one of thousands of residents and business owners suing the city of Los Angeles and other entities over property loss and other damages suffered during the catastrophic Palisades fire.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Missing coverage had catastrophic consequences, so eyes-on became a way to protect the business.
—Krish Kumar, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Investigators determined the remnants of the Lachman Fire were rekindled by catastrophic Santa Ana winds, which likely rekindled embers that led to the Palisades Fire beginning near the same location.
—Jasmine Viel, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Federal authorities are executing a search warrant at a Southern California facility where fears of a catastrophic explosion over a failing chemical tank led to tens of thousands of people being ordered to evacuate last month, according to federal officials.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 10 June 2026
The systematic dismantling of USAID has led to catastrophic humanitarian situations in Africa, including hampering the global response to the current Ebola outbreak.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Aerosolized particles can range from a few nanometers to several tens of micrometers, which could make a quick squirt of deodorant or hairspray a catastrophic event.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 10 June 2026
The prospect of flying Artemis III next year was further clouded by the May 28 explosion of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket at the vehicle’s only launch pad in Florida, causing catastrophic damage to the facilities there.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophic
Adjective
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Caitlin Clark was part of another disastrous collapse on Saturday night, as the Indiana Fever blew a double-digit lead to the New York Liberty.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
-
At that pace, even a tiny micrometeoroid has the ability to impart a significant kinetic blow upon striking a spacecraft en route to the moon, with potentially disastrous results for the astronaut crew inside.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
7 June 2026
Adjective
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The fatal bear encounter at Glacier National Park occurred in the same week that two hikers were injured in a bear attack at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, according to the park service.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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The Sheriff’s Office did not release any details about a motive or what might have led to the fatal shooting.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
There’s no question that this unfortunate cocktail of corruption, inefficiency, and simple incompetence is holding the country back.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
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Unfortunately, going cold turkey off a central nervous system depressant like GHB has some pretty unfortunate side-effects.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophic. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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