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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So had Florida not decided to tweak its offense to emphasize paint touches, dwindling the bricks its guards had regularly tossed through the first two disastrous months, this could have been a historic season.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
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Part of the rush to take up flags may be the disastrous economy in Britain.—
Simon Constable,
FOXNews.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The House of Representatives has twice passed such a bill with a handful of Democrats signing on, but in the Senate, Democrats have held up the bill over demands for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement reforms after the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in January.—
Arden Farhi,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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The collision was the first fatal crash at Laguardia Airport in 34 years.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
24 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 26 Mar. 2026.
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