1
as in fatal
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a split-second, disastrous decision that I would forever regret
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disastrous
Shiffrin, of course, went to disastrous results.
—
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
The same could be said for the Seahawks, who took a chance on quarterback Sam Darnold after his disastrous 2018 NFL debut and reaped the rewards all season.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2026
Officials in Pennsylvania, where a majority of libraries in the state are nonprofit, said that losing income from passport processing could be disastrous for local libraries there.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
During a performance, Boone does a flip and Stiller attempts to one-up him, jumping from increasingly higher platforms on stage to disastrous, but humorous, effect.
—Sarah Whitten,sara Salinas,sarah Jackson,leslie Josephs, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disastrous
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
The same could be said for the Seahawks, who took a chance on quarterback Sam Darnold after his disastrous 2018 NFL debut and reaped the rewards all season.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2026
Officials in Pennsylvania, where a majority of libraries in the state are nonprofit, said that losing income from passport processing could be disastrous for local libraries there.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
During a performance, Boone does a flip and Stiller attempts to one-up him, jumping from increasingly higher platforms on stage to disastrous, but humorous, effect.
—Sarah Whitten,sara Salinas,sarah Jackson,leslie Josephs, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disastrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disastrous
Adjective
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That comment came during after-school fodder just days following the fatal shooting of Renee Good.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Two days after a fatal shooting inside a Kansas City nightclub, prosecutors have charged a Kansas City, Kansas, man with two counts of second-degree murder.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Ellen Rudolph and her husband, Steve Lewis, were still trying to repair their Pacific Palisades home and rebuild their lives after last year’s fires when, two months later, the devastating news came.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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In early 2025, Isom also had to navigate the tragedy of Flight 5342 — the devastating midair collision at Reagan National caused by a wayward military helicopter, through no fault of American’s.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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With so much experience playing Head, Claassen is easily able to improvise in the moment answering random questions, cracking jokes and exchanging repartee with audience members, like the unfortunate man in row B who dared to show up at the theater on Friday in a casual sweatshirt.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
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Ben Jaggers finds motivation from an unfortunate disqualification that stifled his bid for a medal last year.—
Rick Cantu,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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One of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history, the Palisades fire burned 23,448 acres and destroyed much of the exclusive Pacific Palisades community, destroying about 6,800 structures and killing 12 people.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
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The company’s storm costs included $800 million for Hurricane Helene, the most destructive storm in utility history.—
Drew Kann,
AJC.com,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Survivors of the catastrophic avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada that claimed at least eight lives were rescued after using an emergency feature available on some iPhones.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
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General catastrophizing Some people are naturally prone to anxiety and overthinking everything—like a work typo, or a throwaway joke that now feels catastrophic.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disastrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disastrous. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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