as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a catastrophic tornado destroyed the hamlet's only house of worship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of catastrophic
Artists and arts organizations have derided Gloria’s cuts, calling them a catastrophic blow to communities and the city’s culture.
—
Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
At its peak, some areas were moving more than a foot a week, causing catastrophic damage.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Medical staff found catastrophic brain injuries and dozens of bruises across the child’s body, prosecutors said, per the outlets.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
Both sides of the aisle in Minnesota agree the collapse of HCMC would be catastrophic.
—Esme Murphy, CBS News, 6 May 2026
Protecting communities from catastrophic fires is common-sense stewardship that benefits all Californians, including rural and working families.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
In response, Trump on Friday signed an executive order that could be catastrophic for the island’s economy, already in desperate need of a drastic overhaul and foreign investments.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 4 May 2026
That pursuit ended in a crash that left a teen boy with catastrophic injuries, and a lawsuit filed by his family was ultimately settled for $45 million.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
This year, several Western states had very dry to record-dry winters, setting them up for a potentially catastrophic wildfire season.
—Austin Amestoy, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
At its peak, some areas were moving more than a foot a week, causing catastrophic damage.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Medical staff found catastrophic brain injuries and dozens of bruises across the child’s body, prosecutors said, per the outlets.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
Both sides of the aisle in Minnesota agree the collapse of HCMC would be catastrophic.
—Esme Murphy, CBS News, 6 May 2026
Protecting communities from catastrophic fires is common-sense stewardship that benefits all Californians, including rural and working families.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
In response, Trump on Friday signed an executive order that could be catastrophic for the island’s economy, already in desperate need of a drastic overhaul and foreign investments.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 4 May 2026
That pursuit ended in a crash that left a teen boy with catastrophic injuries, and a lawsuit filed by his family was ultimately settled for $45 million.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
This year, several Western states had very dry to record-dry winters, setting them up for a potentially catastrophic wildfire season.
—Austin Amestoy, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophic
Adjective
-
After enduring nearly 10 months with the heartache of disastrous flooding that killed 28 people at the camp – 25 campers, two counselors and the camp’s director, Dick Eastland – days of hearings resulted in an unexpected decision by Camp Mystic’s leaders.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
-
His portrayal of best-selling thriller writer Greg Russo — adrift in a New England college after a disastrous campus speaking engagement — lands in that sweet spot between comedy and drama that has increasingly defined the modern Emmy landscape.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Homicide detectives are investigating the fatal shootings of three adults in Baldwin Park last week — two of whom were a married couple, officials said, who were being mourned by their college-age children.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Police have arrested a man on murder and firearm charges in connection with a fatal shooting in Stratford earlier this month.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But, yeah, that would be unfortunate.—
Ricky Sayer,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
-
In this unfortunate category, Amazon’s new feature for generating mini-podcast segments that shill for products on its shopping platform really takes the cake.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophic. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
