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 That area also roughly would coincide with the stock’s post-earnings close from May 28, after a disastrous revenue miss. — Schaeffer's Investment Research, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Then, beginning in 2005, she was cast on The Office as Jan Levinson, a VP at Dunder Mifflin who gets involved with Steve Carell‘s Michael Scott, with disastrous results. — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026 In their letter, the Hollywood unions warned that the current schedule for the antitrust trial — set for March 2027 — could prove disastrous for industry workers already dealing with the effects of an industry contraction and runaway production. — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026 Even countries that made what seemed like subtle changes to immunization policies suffered disastrous consequences years later. — Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disastrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disastrous
  1. fatal
  2. devastating
  3. unfortunate
  4. destructive
  5. catastrophic
Adjective
  • Many of those thought to have been involved in Shakur’s fatal shooting have since died.
    — Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Grayson, 32, was convicted of second-degree murder in October in the fatal shooting of Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who had reported a possible prowler outside her Springfield-area home.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • The mother and daughter are among 90 Americans missing after the devastating landslide and flood, which tore through steep mountain gorges near the Nepal-China border and surged downstream along a river, wiping out entire villages.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Kick the can If Congress fails to act, payments are expected to be 22% lower, which could be devastating for the millions of seniors who rely on their Social Security benefits to pay for basic necessities.
    — Ashley Lopez, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of devastating
Adjective
  • Hall was excellent for Newcastle against Liverpool in the clubs’ season opener on Sunday, and unfortunate to concede a stoppage-time penalty for the equaliser.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • People have an unfortunate tendency to make this song sound dour, but Garcia fills it with energy.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • Those three for-profit utilities have caused at least seven of California’s 20 most destructive fires, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
    — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Authorities in Spokane, Washington arrested 37-year-old Aaron Farinacci for allegedly starting the Old Trails Fire in early August, which became one of the most destructive wildfires in that state's history.
    — Kirk Siegler, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of destructive
Adjective
  • As the consequences of this strategically catastrophic campaign become ever more apparent, the New Right’s clout is set to grow, having opposed the war from the start.
    — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The heavy snows purify the air and insulate the food warehouses, locking in the high humidity and stable chill necessary to nurture delicate winter koji and yeast strains without catastrophic temperature spikes.
    — Adam H. Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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