disastrous

adjective

di·​sas·​trous di-ˈza-strəs 

also -ˈsa-

1

: attended by or causing suffering or disaster : calamitous

a disastrous flood

2

: terrible, horrendous

a disastrous score

disastrously adverb

Synonyms of disastrous

• fatal
• unfortunate
• catastrophic

Examples of disastrous in a Sentence

Half the city was destroyed by a disastrous fire.

The bad weather could have a disastrous effect on the area's tourism industry.

His failure to back up the computer files had disastrous consequences.

The strike was economically disastrous.

Recent Examples on the Web

But that also has disastrous consequences, for different reasons. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026

Much will depend on the ability of government forces to improve coordination after the disastrous western shore retreat. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026

After a disastrous 3-14 season in 2025, Glenn fired half his coaching staff and brought in experienced assistants, including offensive coordinator Frank Reich. — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026

The disastrous confrontation creates another problem for the CIA, with the political fallout potentially pulling the team into a new operation involving Mali and the Tuareg Rebellion. — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1