catastrophe

noun

kə-ˈta-strə-(ˌ)fē How to pronounce catastrophe (audio)
Definition of catastrophenext
1
as in disaster
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction more than one natural catastrophe has threatened to destroy their farm over the years

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in failure
something that has failed the movie was a catastrophe, nearly bankrupting the studio that produced it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophe
  1. disaster
  2. failure
  3. apocalypse
  4. tragedy
  5. calamity
Noun
  • The rule could prevent a disaster like the one that happened with Synapse, where thousands of consumers lost access to their funds.
    Jeff Kauflin, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Regional authorities have been heavily criticized for having issued alerts to mobile phones some two hours after the disaster had started.
    Hernán Muñoz and Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • The other factor is the failure of the Biden administration to put an end to the Israeli wars that caused the deaths of more than 43,000 Palestinians by continuing supplies of weapons.
    Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
  • Injuries played a large part in the Rangers' failure to make the playoffs after winning the World Series in 2023, so expect Young to bolster his rotation somehow if Eovaldi signs elsewhere.
    Newsweek, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Definition of failure
Noun
  • For another end of the world that features not a bang but a whimper, try Julia Armfield’s Private Rites, which stars three sisters dealing with the death of their cruel genius father in the midst of a watery apocalypse.
    Mikaella Clements & Onjuli Datta, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
  • Set one year after the zombie apocalypse has supposedly come to an end, the film will follow a desperate couple who set out to find a cure for their infected daughter.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024
Definition of apocalypse
Noun
  • That tragedy impacts the family deeply, especially her brother Joe, who last saw her.
    Lizz Schumer, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Because, yes — somehow Peanut’s untimely death has spiraled from a social-media tragedy to a conservative political movement.
    Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Definition of tragedy
Noun
  • Despite certain calamities — like the Great Recession or the tech bubble of the early 2000s — the S&P 500 has turned into a long-term, compounding machine.
    Bret Kenwell, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
  • Patrick Crusius worried that Texas — hot and dry and facing climate calamity — was being overrun by immigrants.
    Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2024
Definition of calamity
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.

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Thesaurus Entries Near catastrophe

cat (around)

catastrophe

catastrophes

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Cite this Entry

“Catastrophe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophe. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on catastrophe

Nglish: Translation of catastrophe for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of catastrophe for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about catastrophe

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