disaster

noun

di·​sas·​ter di-ˈza-stər  -ˈsa- 

plural disasters

1

: a sudden calamitous event bringing great damage, loss, or destruction

natural disasters

2

: someone or something that is very bad: such as

a

: someone or something that is extremely unsuccessful

The wedding reception was a complete disaster.

Brilliant at maths and languages, she was a disaster in physical education …

—Derek Scally

b

: someone or something that has a very bad effect or result

The new coach was a disaster for the team.

"… for the average person, when unemployment strikes, it is a disaster for them. …"

—Peggy Nash

The Battle of Fort Washington took place at the north end of Manhattan Island. It was an unmitigated disaster.

—John F. Di Leo

It can be tough to tell, though, whether an investment is solid or a financial disaster waiting to happen.

—Katie Brockman

… the police chief … warned colleagues of the potential for a deadly accident. And … the editor of a major … magazine said it was a recipe for disaster.

—Patrick Kingsley

These negative reviews aren't the end of the world, but they can spell disaster for your business unless you know how to properly respond.

—Amine Rahal

c

: someone who is in a very agitated emotional state : wreck

"… I cried like a baby and kind of had a breakdown. I really just lost it. The weekend after we wrapped, I was a disaster. …"

—Alex Borstein

d

: someone or something that is in a very disordered state or condition : mess

The house is a complete disaster.

I got caught in the rain and showed up looking like a disaster.

3

obsolete, occult : an unfavorable aspect (see aspect sense 2a) of a planet or star

Did you know?

Disaster has its roots in the belief that the positions of stars influence the fate of humans, often in destructive ways; its original meaning in English was "an unfavorable aspect of a planet or star." The word comes to us through Middle French and the Old Italian word disastro, from the Latin prefix dis- and Latin astro, meaning "star." Another unfortunate word that comes to us from astrological beliefs is "ill-starred." Now generally used in the sense of "unlucky" or "having or destined to a hapless fate," "ill-starred" was originally used literally to describe someone born under or guided by an evil star. We also have star-crossed, meaning "not favored by the stars" or "ill-fated."

Synonyms

• apocalypse
• calamity
• cataclysm
• catastrophe
• debacle
• débâcle
• tragedy

Examples of disaster in a Sentence

The program examined several bridge failures and other engineering disasters.

The new regulations could be a disaster for smaller businesses.

They're trying to find a way to avoid disaster.

The dinner party was a complete disaster.

Recent Examples on the Web

The bill would provide $100 billion in funds for cleanup after devastating Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which rocked Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and other Southern states, as well as other disasters. —Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024

Developing Highly Detailed Maps Geospatial mapping technology could be better leveraged in disasters. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

As climate shocks get worse, insurance companies are increasingly dropping homeowners facing risks of hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters. —Mira Rojanasakul, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2024

Swindells is also starring in the BBC and Netflix series on the Lockerbie bombing disaster of 1988, premiering in 2025. —Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French & Old Italian; Middle French desastre, from Old Italian disastro, from dis- (from Latin) + astro star, from Latin astrum — more at astral

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing disaster

• court disaster
• disaster area
• disaster relief
• disaster strikes
• disaster waiting to happen
• natural disaster
• recipe for disaster
• spell disaster
• unmitigated disaster

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Kids Definition

disaster

noun

di·​sas·​ter diz-ˈas-tər  dis- 

: a sudden great misfortune

especially : something (as a flood or tornado) that happens suddenly and causes much suffering or loss

disastrous

-ˈas-trəs

adjective

disastrously adverb

Etymology

from early French desastre and early Italian disastro, both meaning "an unfavorable position of a star," from early Italian dis- (negative prefix) and astro "star," from Latin astrum "star"

Word Origin

People who have bad luck are sometimes said to be "star-crossed." This expression comes from the traditional belief that the positions of the stars and planets can have a direct influence on earthly events. The origins of the word disaster can be traced to this belief. Disaster comes from disastro, an Italian word formed by combining the negative prefix dis- and the noun astro, meaning "star." Disaster at first meant "an unfavorable position of a star or planet." In time it came to be applied to the kind of terrible misfortune which such a position was thought to cause.