disastrous

adjective

di-ˈza-strəs How to pronounce disastrous (audio)
Definition of disastrousnext
1
as in fatal
bringing about ruin or misfortune a split-second, disastrous decision that I would forever regret

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devastating
causing or tending to cause destruction a disastrous fire from which the town never fully recovered

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 disastrous For commercial fishing fleets, these changes can be disastrous. — Susanne Rust follow, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 Biden later dropped out of the race following a disastrous debate performance. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 29 July 2026 Biden eventually withdrew from the 2024 presidential race after a disastrous debate performance. — Nina Totenberg, NPR, 25 July 2026 Lawmakers assumed the good investment returns would keep coming, which proved disastrous. — Zachary Christensen, Oc Register, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for disastrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disastrous
  1. fatal
  2. devastating
  3. unfortunate
  4. destructive
  5. catastrophic
Adjective
  • Legal experts cast doubt Monday on Bryan Kohberger’s petition to withdraw his guilty plea in the fatal stabbings of four University of Idaho students in 2022.
    — Emanuella Grinberg, NBC news, 28 July 2026
  • Tasmanian devils suffer from Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD), a highly fatal cancer spread by biting, which has devastated their population and surprisingly arose twice.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • What began as one employee's devastating loss quickly grew into a community-wide effort to help earthquake victims in Venezuela.
    — Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • Robert Bush, 48, was sentenced at Hull Crown Court in northeastern England after a five-day hearing in which more than 200 victims described the devastating impact of his crimes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
Definition of devastating
Adjective
  • No, this unfortunate moniker represents the lack of attention to and awareness of the disease.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Typically, when rookies put up gaudy numbers in Las Vegas, their stats are accompanied by unfortunate shooting percentages or a bevy of turnovers, but that wasn’t the case for Burries.
    — Eric Nehm, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • The blaze in Spokane County is unfolding during a wildfire year that so far has been historically destructive across the United States.
    — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The Associated Press reported in December that two NATO-nation intelligence services suspect Russia is developing a new anti-satellite weapon to target Musk’s Starlink constellation with destructive orbiting clouds of shrapnel.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of destructive
Adjective
  • As humanity contemplates the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change, Sulej says the story of the Mastodonsaurus offers some hope.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
  • The last major hurricane to hit Miami-Dade County was the catastrophic Hurricane Andrew in 1992, but the city did not take a direct hit.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Definition of catastrophic

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disasters
disastrous
disastrously
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Cite this Entry

“Disastrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disastrous. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on disastrous

Nglish: Translation of disastrous for Spanish Speakers

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