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.

Social Security was created to exactly avoid this kind of catastrophe, which would lead to homelessness, poverty and hunger, as it did in the 1930s.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

For days, Soviet authorities hid the catastrophe from the world -- a disaster that further weakened the already crumbling USSR, which collapsed in 1991.

From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026

“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

Cuba is in the midst of an economic meltdown and on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe after decades of government mismanagement and U.S. sanctions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

The catastrophe was so great that for several moments no other sound escaped the keeper.

From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks

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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