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 The passage of the CCCA would replicate the disastrous 2010 Durbin Amendment, which decimated debit card rewards. — Raquel Mitchell, Boston Herald, 8 July 2026 Former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Yunior Marte's Major League Baseball career has hit a significant pause after a single, disastrous outing for the Cincinnati Reds. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 To put it simply—detonating nuclear weapons in space can be as disastrous as detonating them on Earth. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 8 July 2026 Meanwhile, though, some anxious neighbors are saying just take the whole thing down to make sure that another — possibly disastrous — collapse doesn’t occur. — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 8 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
  • Although most people recover from Legionnaires' disease with antibiotics, certain patients -- including those who are immunocompromised or who suffer from chronic lung diseases -- can develop complications that can be fatal.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • The Grand Prairie Police Department is investigating a fatal crash in which a passenger vehicle hit a pedestrian.
    — Mary Ella Hastings July 6, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • Emergency services in Andalusia said the death toll rose overnight amid the devastating blaze.
    — Tom Soufi Burridge, ABC News, 10 July 2026
  • Stay after the final whistle, because this is one of the few places where a win—or a devastating loss—can still end in a conga line.
    — Amber Love Bond, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of devastating
Adjective
  • For many women, painful periods are treated as an unfortunate but normal part of life.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • Instead, the meddling radiated corruption over due process of an unfortunate but longstanding rule that has remedies seldom invoked in the middle of the World Cup.
    — Vahe Gregorian July 7, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • Sinlaku’s slow movement (in contrast to Bavi) worsened impacts by keeping destructive winds and torrential rain over the islands for hours, rather than moving through quickly.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • The fire burned simultaneously with the similarly destructive Eaton Fire in Altadena and other communities in the foothills of the nearby San Gabriel Mountains.
    — Daily News, Daily News, 4 July 2026
Definition of destructive
Adjective
  • Major personal injury firms have invested heavily in the infrastructure needed to handle large commercial vehicle and catastrophic injury cases, including in-house accident reconstruction, medical expert networks and trial presentation technology.
    — Karen Koehler, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
  • Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket—also owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos—is out of service after a catastrophic explosion on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral in late May.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 7 July 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 13 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of disastrous for Spanish Speakers

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