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 In recent years, insurance companies have restricted business and shed large numbers of policies following catastrophic wildfires and fears about more in the future. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026 In September, about 70 Americans remained unaccounted for following catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-China border, while 18 Americans had been confirmed safe, Fox News Digital previously reported. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026 Up to 2 feet of rain fell in southern Brevard County on Sunday and Monday, leading to catastrophic flooding of streets, homes and businesses. — ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026 On Tuesday, authorities said two Colorado Mountain College students who were found dead in Chaffee County experienced a catastrophic anchor failure while rappelling, which resulted in their deaths. — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026 The coal industry is not coming back from its inexorable slide toward irrelevance, not to mention its catastrophic effect on the environment. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026 Among his key policy proposals is creation of a catastrophic insurance fund to bring down the cost of windstorm insurance. — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026 Boise State football avoided a near-catastrophic home defeat to Texas State last night, eking out a 46-45 win despite the visiting Bobcats embarking on a 36-0 second-half run. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 1 Nov. 2026 In May 1697 a catastrophic fire broke out at Stockholm’s Tre Kronor Royal Palace, which spread to and consumed the majority of the Royal Library. — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophic
  1. disastrous
  2. fatal
  3. unfortunate
Adjective
  • Prolonged pump stoppages could lead to a disastrous local scenario of ruptured water supply, district heating, and sewage pipes, even if electricity remains available elsewhere in the country.
    — Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Yet, the Royals are sitting at home after a disastrous 69-93 campaign.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • Rabies is a viral disease that affects the nervous system and can be fatal in humans if treatment is not received before symptoms develop.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The driver of the pickup truck was found unresponsive with fatal injuries and pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel, police said.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • The unfortunate truth is, most of them have lowered their standards in admissions and education.
    — Ian Kingsbury, Sun Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Just ask this unfortunate Alaskan bear recently spotted with several multi-foot long tapeworms hanging out of its butt.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 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 6 Nov. 2026.

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