catastrophic
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of catastrophic
First recorded in 1820–30; from Greek katastrophikós, equivalent to catastroph(e) ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )
Explanation
Something catastrophic is very harmful or disastrous. When the stock market crashes, it’s a catastrophic event for investors. This is a strong word for terrible, harmful, devastating things. Tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis are catastrophic weather events. A depression is catastrophic for the economy. In sports, if the star player is injured, that's catastrophic for the team. If a parent dies, that's catastrophic for a family. Scientists worry that climate change will have a catastrophic effect on the planet. Catastrophic events are severe and horrific. Stubbing your toe isn’t catastrophic: losing your leg in an accident is.
Vocabulary lists containing catastrophic
Break It Down: Cata
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Vocabulary from the Second Presidential Debate: October 9, 2016
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Life As We Knew It
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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.
Foresters said mountain ash is adapted to catastrophic bushfires, and clearfelling is the forestry equivalent.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
It was the first time in 20 years as an international that the AC Milan midfielder said he had felt such emotion, describing it as a "catastrophic night".
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
“I know the catastrophic mechanical issues that have plagued Metrolink trains this year have severely undermined the reliability of the system and the confidence of the riders,” said L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
Clutching a photograph of his missing son, Rajesh Ram is pinning his hopes on DNA testing -- like thousands of others desperately seeking relatives swept away by Nepal's catastrophic Himalayan floods.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Colonel Cathcart lived by his wits in an unstable, arithmetical world of black eyes and feathers in his cap, of overwhelming imaginary triumphs and catastrophic imaginary defeats.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
