1
as in fatal
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a split-second, disastrous decision that I would forever regret
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
The Twins had designated Woods Richardson for assignment on May 30 following a disastrous beginning to his season.
—
Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026
Rick Spinrad, an oceanographer who headed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during the Biden administration, said other countries — such as the former Soviet Union — have let politics dictate research funding with disastrous results.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
This final season opens with Deborah and Ava back in the United States after a disastrous slew of shows in Singapore, where Deborah was drinking heavily and falling asleep on stage.
—Alexandra Jhamb Burns, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Biden famously dropped out late in the race after a disastrous debate performance before passing the baton to his then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for disastrous
Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026
Rick Spinrad, an oceanographer who headed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during the Biden administration, said other countries — such as the former Soviet Union — have let politics dictate research funding with disastrous results.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
This final season opens with Deborah and Ava back in the United States after a disastrous slew of shows in Singapore, where Deborah was drinking heavily and falling asleep on stage.
—Alexandra Jhamb Burns, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Biden famously dropped out late in the race after a disastrous debate performance before passing the baton to his then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for disastrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disastrous
Adjective
-
Iyo Sky, Roxanne Perez, Giulia and Lash Legend squared off in a fatal four-way match with a spot in the semifinals waiting for the winner.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
Underscoring the stakes for Louisville residents is the March fatal shooting of a 28-year-old woman named Katelyn Hall, who was experiencing a mental health crisis when police gunned her down in her own apartment.—
Topher Sanders,
ProPublica,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Femi was coming off a devastating loss against Brock Lesnar.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
Fewer, but more ‘devastating’ blazes That the world suffered fewer acres torched by wildfires in 2025 likely comes as little relief to the countries and cities that battled the infernos last year.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
There’s no question that this unfortunate cocktail of corruption, inefficiency, and simple incompetence is holding the country back.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
-
Unfortunately, going cold turkey off a central nervous system depressant like GHB has some pretty unfortunate side-effects.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Bawah Anambas Foundation works with local communities to combat destructive fishing techniques, focusing on reforestation and offering skills training.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
In distributing these weak linkages throughout a material like polystyrene, the mechanophores split in two as a crack begins to propagate, successfully redirecting the crack and dissipating the destructive energy.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
In 2009, 36-year-old Diane Schuler drove her minivan in the wrong direction on the Taconic State Parkway, resulting in a catastrophic collision with an SUV that killed herself, her daughter, three nieces, and three people in the other vehicle.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
-
Anywhere some of those choices turn out to be catastrophic mistakes.—
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disastrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disastrous. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
