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 Hunger Games series takes place in an authoritarian and fascist state called Panem, which has been established in North America after a series of environmental and climate disasters. — Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Nov. 2026 The nonprofit focuses on disaster response, search and rescue, and humanitarian aid. — Ashley Paul, CBS News, 12 Nov. 2026 That can reduce latency and bandwidth while enabling faster responses to disasters, infrastructure issues and other events. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 Nov. 2026 Back-to-back disasters — the Caldor Fire in 2021 and cold snaps in April 2022 — drove wine producers, who often sign multiyear contracts, to seek grapes elsewhere. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 12 Nov. 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
  • At the time of the last catastrophe, a convulsive shift in media consumption began undermining the value of the legacy distribution scheme, which in turn led to grave uncertainties related to revenue sharing.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The strategy provided insurers with concessions such as the right to charge policyholders for the reinsurance carriers must buy to protect themselves from catastrophes, such as the January 2025 wildfires.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • Obstacles, wind, sensor errors, or other system failures can prevent it from completing the maneuver safely.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Coach Mikey Varas has spent the past week asking his players to confront their failure to reach the MLS Cup playoffs rather than simply count down the days until the offseason.
    — Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • The incident horrified parents and neighbors, who wanted to know what the city could do to prevent another tragedy.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Slafter doesn't want her son to be connected to this tragedy.
    — Olivia Young, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of tragedy
Noun
  • But my disappointment has only brought the past more prominently to light.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The company is reemerging after a period of inactivity brought on by box office disappointments and mounting financial pressure.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of disappointment
Noun
  • The structure of World War Z lends the material a dreadful credibility, with the prospect of a zombie apocalypse never seeming more plausible.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Nov. 2026
  • There are some apocalypses, the song seems to suggest, where no redemptive beauty can be found.
    — Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of apocalypse
Noun
  • This is, in part, a byproduct of private equity’s natural boom-and-bust cycle.
    — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Friday’s biggest lift for the S&P 500 came from Nvidia, the chip company that’s become the face of the boom and possible bust of the AI frenzy.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of bust
Noun
  • West and his college girlfriend, Andrea, drove three hours south after the calamity.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Morgenthau’s personal encounters with power had taught him that its unbridled pursuit led to calamity.
    — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 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 14 Nov. 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

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

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

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All