disaster

[dih-zas-ter, -zah-ster]

noun

1. a calamitous event, especially one occurring suddenly and causing great loss of life, damage, or hardship, as a flood, airplane crash, or business failure.

   Synonyms: affliction, adversity, reverse, blow, accident, mishap, misadventure, misfortune, mischance

2. Obsolete.,  an unfavorable aspect of a star or planet.

disaster

/ dɪˈzɑːstə /

noun

1. an occurrence that causes great distress or destruction

2. a thing, project, etc, that fails or has been ruined

Other Word Forms

• predisaster noun
• disastrous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of disaster¹

First recorded in 1585–95; from Middle French desastre, from Italian disastro, from dis- dis- ¹ + astro “star” (from Latin astrum, from Greek ástron )

Word History and Origins

Origin of disaster¹

C16 (originally in the sense: malevolent astral influence): from Italian disastro, from dis- (pejorative) + astro star, from Latin astrum, from Greek astron

Synonym Study

Disaster, calamity, catastrophe, cataclysm refer to adverse happenings often occurring suddenly and unexpectedly. A disaster may be caused by carelessness, negligence, bad judgment, or the like, or by natural forces, as a hurricane or flood: a railroad disaster. Calamity suggests great affliction, either personal or general; the emphasis is on the grief or sorrow caused: the calamity of losing a child. Catastrophe refers especially to the tragic outcome of a personal or public situation; the emphasis is on the destruction or irreplaceable loss: the catastrophe of a defeat in battle. Cataclysm, physically an earth-shaking change, refers to a personal or public upheaval of unparalleled violence: a cataclysm that turned his life in a new direction.

Example Sentences

"What I've witnessed in the past three years has been a pure disaster," he told AFP, saying he felt many young people were badly advised by tax consultants.

Read more on Barron's

Historically, states of emergency have been declared during natural disasters; however, staff said the criteria for such an action could be applied to the hardships generated by immigration raids.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Jan. 7, was one of the costliest and most destructive disasters in city history, leveling thousands of homes and killing 12 people.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

They said heavy winds six days later caused the underground fire to surface and spread above ground in what became one of the costliest and most destructive disasters in city history.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The fire that destroyed much of Altadena, she said, is one of the worst disasters she has seen.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• calamity 
• catastrophe 
• collapse 
• crash 
• debacle 
• defeat 
• emergency 
• failure 
• fiasco 
• flood 
• harm 
• hazard 
• holocaust 
• mishap 
• setback 
• tragedy 
• woe