disastrous

adjective

di·​sas·​trous di-ˈza-strəs How to pronounce disastrous (audio)
 also  -ˈsa-
1
: attended by or causing suffering or disaster : calamitous
a disastrous flood
2
: terrible, horrendous
a disastrous score
disastrously adverb

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
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.
To see how the president is losing ground to Beijing, consider his disastrous relationship with India. Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2025 The decision ended up having disastrous results. Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025 Agreeing to make that 2030 first-round draft pick unprotected could prove disastrous. Bobby Krivitsky, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025 Bukele, after a disastrous month for his image, was not willing to tolerate any more affronts. Óscar Martínez & Carlos Martínez, The Dial, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disastrous

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of disastrous was in 1594

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Cite this Entry

“Disastrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disastrous. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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