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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 But the Emmys have not been hosted by a non-comedian since 2008, when five reality hosts landed the gig with disastrous results. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026 In the sitcom world, the disastrous dinner party is a rite of passage. — Jessica Barrett, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2026 Many scientists, however, have expressed fears that solar geoengineering could have disastrous global implications, including dramatically altering weather patterns. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026 The party of Germany's unpopular leader, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, slumped to a disastrous result in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. — CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disastrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disastrous
  1. fatal
  2. devastating
  3. unfortunate
  4. destructive
  5. catastrophic
Adjective
  • After 16 months of radiation and chemotherapy, a September 2025 scan showed the cancer had spread to his spinal cord, a condition called leptomeningeal disease that usually proves fatal within a few months.
    — Arthur Allen, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • None of the 10 students riding to Wyandotte High School on Monday morning were injured when gunfire struck their school bus during a fatal dispute.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • These are the glimmers of something in the fringes that keep The Cherry Orchard, even in our age of jonesing to burn it all down, so miraculously delicate and devastating.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The survival thriller, directed by David Ayer, follows a Special Forces officer and his combat dog who, after a devastating plane crash, get stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of devastating
Adjective
  • One of these evils had the mass murder of civilians as its intended goal; the other claims that its victims are unfortunate accidents.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • But those who get too close risk far more than a soaking, as Niagara is a graveyard for the reckless, the unfortunate and the desperate.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • The project was on the side of a scrubby hill that looked nothing like the steep timber and chaparral where California’s destructive fires burn and the insurance market has fled.
    — Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The violence was easier to process then as a negative act, something destructive.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of destructive
Adjective
  • There were also calls for Congressional oversight hearings on AI’s catastrophic risks.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun urged Washington to stop expanding its military footprint off the planet, warning against a catastrophic space arms race.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of catastrophic

Browse Nearby Words

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 22 Sep. 2026.

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