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 Colombia’s government declared a national disaster, and world leaders from the United States, Mexico and across Latin America mobilized assistance. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026 The Burns Harbor Town Council started its meeting Wednesday with a declaration of a local emergency disaster resulting from Tuesday’s massive storm that swept through Northwest Indiana. — Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 Satellite images also have shown that the tanker is increasingly submerged, and experts have warned of an unprecedented environmental disaster if the vessel sinks or breaks open and leaks its entire cargo. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 The ship is similar in size and capacity to the Sanchi, an Iranian ship that collided with a freighter off China in 2018 in the world’s worst oil tanker disaster in decades. — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Aug. 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
  • Massive crude stockpiles before the war helped prevent catastrophe when supply dried up.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • As the summer of 2001 wears on through the lens of Kopple’s camera, our knowledge of the coming catastrophe casts a shadow over the proceedings.
    — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • There was widespread concern in San Antonio last fall that a failure to approve a new arena could open the door for the Spurs to relocate to Austin.
    — Jared Weiss, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Reports vary on the exact level of success or failure of Meghan's brand As Ever, but the jam, flower sprinkles and scented candles have become a bit of a joke.
    — Christina Dugan Ramirez , Ashley Papa , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • Officials say Monday's tragedy is far from an isolated incident and are urging the public to slow down and pay attention.
    — Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Through rapid-fire verbal repartee, constant close-ups, and frantic cuts, Deramas treads a careful line between tragedy and comedy, the latter a psychological weapon against the former.
    — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of tragedy
Noun
  • This cultlike existence has resulted in resentment and disappointment.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Waller was largely a disappointment during his one season with the Giants after being acquired from the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round pick in 2023.
    — Joseph Person, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of disappointment
Noun
  • Worried about the dog in the sci-fi apocalypse thriller The End of Oak Street?
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026
  • But now, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is pushing back against the predictions of a job apocalypse once made by his fellow tech CEOs, including Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and OpenAI’s Sam Altman.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of apocalypse
Noun
  • O’Higgins spent about two years in Richmond, and his connection to the house is marked by an English Heritage Blue Plaque; a bust of him stands nearby in O’Higgins Square, where the borough celebrates his birthday each year.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Two Penn State University fraternities are at the center of a cocaine trafficking ring bust, leading to charges against 14 people, authorities announced on Monday.
    — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of bust
Noun
  • Buenaventura declared a local state of calamity to facilitate its emergency response and request additional assistance from the national government.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2026
  • To be fair, a number of the calamities should have been foreseen, probably.
    — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of calamity

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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 18 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of disaster for Spanish Speakers

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