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

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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 Rodríguez has rejected suggestions that authorities understated the disaster, saying the government releases only casualty figures that have been fully verified and would not speculate about the final toll. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026 The hospital includes two operating rooms, a pharmacy and a laboratory, while doctors continue performing orthopedic surgeries and treating infections and other conditions left untreated in the aftermath of the disaster. — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026 Errant thoughts will still arise (the laundry, the email, the certainty that your opening scene is a disaster) but in a mindful state, those thoughts are observable. — April Dávila, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026 The company also has Swedish-language disaster thriller Vaka for Prime Video Nordics, which premiered earlier this year. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 22 July 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
  • California suffered a near catastrophe on pension debt during the great recession.
    — Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 25 July 2026
  • Members are also holding weekly evening vigils at the parish to draw attention to this latest Eastside environmental catastrophe.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • The letter argues that openness prevents lock-in and that concentrating capability creates single points of failure.
    — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • For Luis Javier Santos, the former head of UFERCO who investigated the case against Hernández, the former leader’s return represents a failure to prosecute him for his crimes, rather than a chance for justice.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • The Pan American Health Organization has also warned of a prolonged health crisis following the tragedy related to mental health, infectious diseases and poor sanitation.
    — Alfie Pannell, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • Forged in the fire of tragedy, billionaire Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human–the BATMAN.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 23 July 2026
Definition of tragedy
Noun
  • The club has transformed from one of baseball’s biggest disappointments into a legitimate contender over the second half.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Christa’s family, through their attorney, have expressed disappointment about his escape.
    — Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
Definition of disappointment
Noun
  • Long before OpenAI broke out of its test corral and hacked into Hugging Face, before the internet and Sam Altman were even born, Cameron wrote a screenplay about an autonomous artificial intelligence system that triggers a nuclear apocalypse.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026
  • The simulator has options such as target practice, zombie apocalypse and even real-life self-defense scenarios.
    — Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026
Definition of apocalypse
Noun
  • For his first ten years as a professional, Messi was regarded as something of a bust at the international level.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • The other money factor is that podcasting’s boom cycle around 2019 inevitably turned into a bust cycle several years later.
    — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of bust
Noun
  • At the heart of the celebration is Kyoto’s Yasaka Shrine, a Shinto site whose principal deity has long been revered as a protector against calamities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • With one day to go, DeChambeau’s week has been an electric circus of golf-adjacent calamity.
    — Justin Ray, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of calamity

Browse Nearby Words

disassociating
disaster
disasters
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Cite this Entry

“Disaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disaster. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on disaster

Nglish: Translation of disaster for Spanish Speakers

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