calamitous

adjective

ca·​lam·​i·​tous kə-ˈla-mə-təs 

: being, causing, or accompanied by calamity

calamitous events

a calamitous earthquake

calamitously adverb

Synonyms

• cataclysmal
• cataclysmic
• catastrophic
• damning
• destructive
• disastrous
• fatal
• fateful
• ruinous
• unfortunate

Examples of calamitous in a Sentence

the calamitous state of the nation's economy

a calamitous decision to sell their products online exclusively ruined the business

Recent Examples on the Web

The market mayhem ultimately forced Truss to scrap her calamitous project. —Anna Cooban, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025

But avalanches, landslides and calamitous flash floods are just the most dramatic consequences of climate change in the Peruvian Andes. —Simeon Tegel, NPR, 17 Mar. 2025

Less than two weeks later, McCoy withdrew, dealing a calamitous blow to the mayor’s quest for competence. —Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2025

Research suggests, too, that hormone therapy reduces susceptibility to osteoporosis, another calamitous disease of aging for women. —Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French calamiteux "suffering misfortune, miserable," borrowed from Latin calamitōsus "liable to damage or disaster, afflicted by disaster, ill-starred, involving damage or disaster, ruinous," by haplology from *calamitātōsus, from calamitāt-, calamitās "disaster, misfortune, calamity" + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

calamitous

adjective

ca·​lam·​i·​tous kə-ˈlam-ət-əs 

: causing or accompanied by calamity

calamitous events

calamitously adverb

calamitousness noun