catastrophe

[kuh-tas-truh-fee] / kəˈtæs trə fi /

NOUN

calamity; unhappy conclusion

Synonyms

STRONGEST

accident adversity calamity casualty cataclysm crash debacle devastation disaster emergency failure fiasco hardship meltdown misery mishap tragedy trouble wreck

STRONG

affliction alluvion blow contretemps culmination curtains denouement desolation end fatality finale grief havoc ill infliction misadventure mischance misfortune reverse scourge stroke termination trial upshot waterloo

WEAK

bad luck bad news bad thing the worst

Antonyms

STRONGEST

advantage aid assistance benefit blessing boon creation favor fortune gain good fortune good luck happiness help joy miracle peace profit prosperity success win wonder

STRONG

beginning birth cause comfort commencement delight luck opening origin start

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“It’s avoiding catastrophe, and it’s basically a one-year solution,” said Mark Gold, a board member of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

"No club can survive for the long-term in this system and if that continues, catastrophe will happen," warned Portsmouth chairman Michael Eisner.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Nearly a month into the Middle East war, Lebanon is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis that now risks teetering over into a catastrophe, the United Nations refugee agency warned Friday.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

On this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode of Amicus, co-hosts Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern discussed the Justice Department’s latest catastrophe and its potentially massive impact on ICE’s authority to continue its courthouse arrests.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

The ultraviolet catastrophe led to the quantum revolution.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Vocabulary lists containing catastrophe

Break It Down: Cata

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Words from "The Avengers"

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Don't Distress: Words With Irregular Opposites

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