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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 Arjun Poudel, a health reporter in Nepal, was commuting to the offices of the Kathmandu Post, in the country’s capital, when messages started coming in about a disastrous flood in his home town, close to the border with China. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 Since a disastrous debut, the rookie right-hander has allowed just two runs over his last 9 2/3 innings with 15 strikeouts. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026 But what could have been a disastrous memory turned a corner when the duo decided to have a quiet, intimate ceremony with friends before their big show. — Erin Strecker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for disastrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disastrous
  1. fatal
  2. devastating
  3. unfortunate
  4. destructive
  5. catastrophic
Adjective
  • That is until his young niece and nephew are kidnapped at a birthday party following the fatal shooting of his diplomat brother and the latter’s wife (Constanza Andrade).
    — Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Boeing admitted responsibility for the fatal crashes and that its employees withheld information about the design flaw from the Federal Aviation Administration during certification.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • Here are a few of the fronts on which that undeclared war is being fought, with devastating consequences for the next generation of Americans.
    — David Wippman, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Twenty-five years after the devastating terror attacks, the retired Bountiful, Utah, resident still carries the memories of that day ​— not only the fear and uncertainty, but also the camaraderie and grief shared by those around him.
    — Kaanita Iyer, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of devastating
Adjective
  • That is the unfortunate part of a tenure full of expansion, media-rights billions and two transformational collective bargaining agreements.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Moore and his allies are presenting gerrymandering as an unfortunate response to an acute political crisis, but trying to gerrymander Maryland in favor of Democrats is far from a new effort.
    — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • Large, destructive waves and life-threatening rip currents are forecast across many Hawaiian shorelines during the next several days.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
  • America’s sense of security was smashed with apocalyptic fury Tuesday when the most destructive and meticulously planned terror attack in history shattered two of the country’s most potent symbols.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of destructive
Adjective
  • The dependency is often invisible in normal times but could be catastrophic in a crisis.
    — Sajal Singh, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Not just any bill, but this year’s biggest in the state Legislature, dealing with catastrophic wildfires, arguably the state’s most perilous problem.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 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 15 Sep. 2026.

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