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 Poor, maligned, disastrous, feels-like-being-trapped-inside-a-tuba Digger. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026 That was a 15-win improvement from the disastrous 119-loss season in 2025, which led to a front-office housecleaning and the hiring of DePodesta and GM Josh Byrnes last offseason. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2026 Indeed, State Farm asked Fox to let it out of a deal for commercials in Super Bowl LIX, citing obstacles created for its business by disastrous California wildfires. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026 The team on the field has improved from a disastrous 2025 but is still below the level Mack Brown’s teams reached during both of his runs as UNC coach. — David Ubben, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disastrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disastrous
  1. fatal
  2. devastating
  3. unfortunate
  4. destructive
  5. catastrophic
Adjective
  • In 2006, a 45-year-old with a heart condition suffered a fatal heart attack while aboard the park's Goliath ride.
    — DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Mystery still surrounds the fatal shooting on the set of Alec Baldwin’s Western Rust, an incident that claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • That status quo has been marked by a drumbeat of devastating fires in recent years and increasing worries about more in the future.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The moment when the couple’s infant child is taken from them by the authorities is devastating, each of them capturing a sense of helpless isolation from themselves, their community and each other.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastating
Adjective
  • Choosing the most abject—or unfortunate—car names will never not be funny.
    — Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The timing was unfortunate for Saudi Arabia, several experts say.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • Simon is expected to make landfall early tomorrow, bringing heavy rain, destructive waves and potentially life-threatening flooding and mudslides, according to the National Hurricane Center.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Hirose, who also writes and edits, has constructed a brilliantly volatile scenario, vulnerable to any number of potentially explosive and destructive dramatic developments.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of destructive
Adjective
  • Writers in ancient Mesopotamia told several versions of a story in which the gods send a catastrophic flood but warn one man, who then builds a large boat to save his family and animals.
    — Eric Vanden Eykel, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The film stars Cruise as an aging oil tycoon whose drilling operations trigger a catastrophic climate change disaster.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 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 13 Oct. 2026.

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