disaster

noun

di-ˈza-stər How to pronounce disaster (audio)
Definition of disasternext
1
as in catastrophe
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction hurricanes are natural disasters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in failure
something that has failed an utter disaster, the play opened and closed on the same miserable night

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 disaster Things go to the brink of disaster as often as a Pearl White serial. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 Early research suggests that smoke from these disasters can blow onto trees across the country and coat leaves, blocking sunlight and interfering with photosynthesis. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026 The Challenger space shuttle disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when the spacecraft broke apart 73 seconds after lift-off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, killing all seven crew members aboard. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 This disaster scenario failed to win over moviegoers, who had been eagerly awaiting Cruise’s return to a nonfranchise film—his first since American Made in 2017. — Lou Gomis, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disaster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disaster
  1. catastrophe
  2. failure
  3. tragedy
  4. disappointment
  5. apocalypse
  6. bust
  7. calamity
Noun
  • The top prize there was awarded to The Lake, directed by Abby Ellis, a film exploring the environmental catastrophe posed by the rapidly shrinking Great Salt Lake in Utah.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Mahomes’ rapid recovery from last year’s ACL/LCL catastrophe is great news for Kansas City fans and the NFL’s TV/streaming partners, as he and the Chiefs are slated to pop up in as many as 12 national windows before the playoffs arrive.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • The question confronting Israel and its international partners is not simply whether money should flow into Gaza, but also who controls it—and whether the next arrangement will avoid the failures of the last.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Special-teams breakdowns — including a 70-yard kickoff return and two field-goal failures — played a big role in the Rams’ 37-34 overtime loss to Buffalo.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • There’s a slickness to the carnage that rubs uncomfortably against the film’s humanist ethos, rendering artificial (for all Shen Teng’s trembling and mouth-contorting labors) the horrific tragedies that befall its characters.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • After Monday’s tragedy prompted Six Flags Over Georgia to evacuate guests, a spokesperson said the amusement park will reopen Friday.
    — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of tragedy
Noun
  • To rely on him on a day-to-day basis is to live under conditions of constant disappointment.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The trading disappointment comes after CEO Brian Moynihan told analysts last month that trading revenue would be roughly flat; instead the combined bond and stock trading results fell by 5%.
    — Hugh Son, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of disappointment
Noun
  • The new series picks up after Korra’s actions, which inadvertently lead to an apocalypse that forces humanity to take refuge in the titular Havens, all of which have visually distinct identities.
    — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In addition, there's a killer-looking dark apocalypse comedy and a docuseries about one of the most famous boxers of all time.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of apocalypse
Noun
  • California’s revenue is notoriously top heavy, leaving state coffers vulnerable to boom-and-bust cycles as the wealthiest residents see their incomes rise and fall with the stock market.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Several people have been charged in connection with the bust, but whoever oversaw the network has so far managed to elude arrest.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of bust
Noun
  • The protagonist becomes a wise-guy version of Benjamin’s Angel of History, watching calamities accumulate before his eyes.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The toxic loans were also packaged and peddled around the world to banks everywhere, resulting in a calamity.
    — Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of calamity

Browse Nearby Words

disassociating
disaster
disasters
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Disaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disaster. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All