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 The disaster left thousands of households without electricity and tens of thousands without tap water. — ABC News, 30 July 2026 Desperate struggles against the encroaching elements become a brief interlude before the situation unravels into a disaster of a different magnitude. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026 Community advocates say the disaster underscores long-standing environmental injustices in Eastside neighborhoods, urging faster cleanup and permanent closure of the facility. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026 Those days are long gone, and the Luke Fickell experiment has been an unmitigated disaster. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 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 film’s story is said to follow a young dancer at an elite ballet school who finally earns the lead in a prestigious recital, but her focus is shattered by a family tragedy.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 30 July 2026
  • Our thoughts, prayers, and heartfelt condolences are with the families, friends, classmates, and everyone affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Definition of tragedy
Noun
  • Stratford-Upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, is a two-hour trip from London and a number of ticket-holders expressed their disappointment online, alleging to have arrived from as far afield as Canada.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 29 July 2026
  • The 54-year-old will take over from longtime head coach Didier Deschamps, who stepped down after the 2026 World Cup, which ended in disappointment for Les Bleus.
    — Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 28 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
  • The bust, however, began as soon as the early 1880s and droves of residents began to leave.
    — Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 27 July 2026
  • Rather than fade into another draft bust, Hezonja headed to Europe and rebuilt his career.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 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
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 31 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on disaster

Nglish: Translation of disaster for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of comely

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

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

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All