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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 An ugly game-ending arm injury suffered by Washington starting quarterback Jayden Daniels on the final play of the first half, which caused Fox Sports analyst Tom Brady to curse on air, had a catastrophic effect on the Commanders’ chances. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2026 These findings meaningfully raise the odds of either a massive settlement and licensing deal or, failing that, a Times victory at trial that would be catastrophic for the defendants and enormously remunerative for the plaintiff. — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026 Old levees and dams, for example, can leave a community vulnerable to catastrophic flooding, as the Seattle area saw in December 2025 when flooding from heavy rainfall broke levees in multiple communities. — Bethany Tietjen, The Conversation, 21 Sep. 2026 Just last month, a catastrophic glacier collapse and flood in Nepal killed more than 1,300 people and left thousands missing, with scientists concluding that climate change made the conditions behind the disaster more likely. — Marcene Mitchell, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026 What is happening in Gaza is a catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. — CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026 What is is happening in Gaza is catastrophic, unjustifiable, and disproportionate. — Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 20 Sep. 2026 What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. — Brie Stimson , Kelley Kramer, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026 The same work found that climate change has already doubled the likelihood of a catastrophic California flood. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophic
  1. disastrous
  2. fatal
  3. unfortunate
Adjective
  • The agency might even take the opportunity to completely redesign the disastrous Ashland, Armitage and Elston Avenue intersection and save generations of Chicagoans the headache of spending 15 minutes navigating through a single stoplight.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Where his focus has been following the Dolphins’ special team unit’s disastrous performance in Miami’s 27-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders is patching the leaks that led to three massive returns to the Raiders and a missing a field-goal attempt.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • After 16 months of radiation and chemotherapy, a September 2025 scan showed the cancer had spread to his spinal cord, a condition called leptomeningeal disease that usually proves fatal within a few months.
    — Arthur Allen, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • None of the 10 students riding to Wyandotte High School on Monday morning were injured when gunfire struck their school bus during a fatal dispute.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • One of these evils had the mass murder of civilians as its intended goal; the other claims that its victims are unfortunate accidents.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • But those who get too close risk far more than a soaking, as Niagara is a graveyard for the reckless, the unfortunate and the desperate.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 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 24 Sep. 2026.

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