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

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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 match also marked a disastrous debut for goalkeeper Angus Gunn, who started all three World Cup matches for Scotland and took over for Daniel, San Jose’s starter since 2023. — Harold Gutmann, Mercury News, 23 July 2026 While that is an extreme scenario, the other scenarios described in the bill could presumably be invoked in much less disastrous events. — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 23 July 2026 This followed the disastrous 15th-place finish in the 2024-25 EPL table, just above the relegation line—the prior season’s eighth-place finish was its previous worst result since the Premier League launched in 1992. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 22 July 2026 Quarterback Geno Smith is back at the helm after a disastrous 2025 with the Raiders, and a roster and coaching staff coming off a 3-14 season is largely intact. — John Riker, New York Times, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for disastrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disastrous
  1. fatal
  2. devastating
  3. unfortunate
  4. destructive
  5. catastrophic
Adjective
  • Authorities have taken a suspect into custody following a fatal shooting Sunday night in Round Lake Beach.
    — Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
  • As cars and roads multiplied, accidents began to pile up; by the mid-sixties, there were more than fifty thousand fatal highway accidents per year.
    — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • San Francisco, Lisbon, Tokyo, Christchurch are all cities that have been rebuilt stronger and safer after devastating earthquakes.
    — Syra Ortiz-Blanes, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • Has a devastating chip block on Abdul Carter featured on his reel.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of devastating
Adjective
  • No, this unfortunate moniker represents the lack of attention to and awareness of the disease.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Typically, when rookies put up gaudy numbers in Las Vegas, their stats are accompanied by unfortunate shooting percentages or a bevy of turnovers, but that wasn’t the case for Burries.
    — Eric Nehm, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • Russia withdrew from the convention in 2025 following denunciations by other Ramsar members of the war in Ukraine and its destructive effects on wetlands in that country.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
  • Burmese pythons — destructive invasive snakes with few natural predators in Florida — have developed a new foothold outside the Everglades.
    — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 24 July 2026
Definition of destructive
Adjective
  • As humanity contemplates the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change, Sulej says the story of the Mastodonsaurus offers some hope.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
  • The last major hurricane to hit Miami-Dade County was the catastrophic Hurricane Andrew in 1992, but the city did not take a direct hit.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Definition of catastrophic

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disastrous
disastrously
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Cite this Entry

“Disastrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disastrous. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on disastrous

Nglish: Translation of disastrous for Spanish Speakers

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