catastrophe
Americannoun
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catastrophes
plural
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a sudden and widespread disaster.
the catastrophe of war.
- Synonyms:
- calamity, misfortune
- Antonyms:
- triumph
-
any misfortune, mishap, or failure; fiasco.
The play was so poor our whole evening was a catastrophe.
-
a final event or conclusion, usually an unfortunate one; a disastrous end.
the great catastrophe of the Old South at Appomattox.
- Antonyms:
- triumph
-
(in a drama) the point at which the circumstances overcome the central motive, introducing the close or conclusion; dénouement.
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Geology. a sudden, violent disturbance, especially of a part of the surface of the earth; cataclysm.
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Also called catastrophe function. Mathematics. any of the mathematical functions that describe the discontinuities that are treated in catastrophe theory.
noun
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a sudden, extensive, or notable disaster or misfortune
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the denouement of a play, esp a classical tragedy
-
a final decisive event, usually causing a disastrous end
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Also called: cataclysm. any sudden and violent change in the earth's surface caused by flooding, earthquake, or some other rapid process
Synonym Usage
See disaster.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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supercatastrophenoun
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catastrophaladjective
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catastrophicadjective
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catastrophicaladjective
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catastrophicallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of catastrophe
First recorded in 1570–80; from Greek katastrophḗ “an overturning,” from katastréphein “to overturn”; equivalent to cata- + strophe
Explanation
A catastrophe is a disaster. If a wedding reception is disrupted by a fistfight between the bride and her new mother-in-law, you could call the occasion a catastrophe. Catastrophe comes from a Greek word meaning "overturn." It originally referred to the disastrous finish of a drama, usually a tragedy. The definition was extended to mean "any sudden disaster" in the 1700s. Nowadays, catastrophe can be used to refer to very tragic events as well as more minor ones. A hurricane destroying hundreds of homes is certainly a catastrophe; baking a birthday cake without following a recipe might also result in catastrophe, if you don't know anything about cooking.
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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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.
See Examples For:
Pacific island nations are divided on whether deep-sea mining will deliver economic windfalls, or environmental catastrophe.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
Instead, it provides valuable evidence that the underground system responsible for its ancient catastrophe remains active and continues to receive new magma.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the leader of Madrid’s local government, earlier this week described the Madrid wildfires as perhaps “the worst natural catastrophe in Spain’s history.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The U.S. acts to foster life-sciences experiments while minimizing the risk of a pandemic or other catastrophe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Each filled a hole; each supplied a missing insight, an attitude to risk which, if more prevalent, might have prevented the catastrophe.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Economic losses from natural catastrophes worldwide are estimated to have reached $100 billion in the first half of this year, reinsurance group Swiss Re said Tuesday, a sharp decline from the period last year.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
"Nature is quite resilient, but it can't cope with catastrophes on this scale over and over again. It won't keep on coming back."
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
The movie is seeded with nods to Green Day lore, scripted over long sessions riffing with the band over its tour catastrophes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
“Titanic” made audiences understand why historic catastrophes are also intimate tragedies.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
She’s responsible for plagues, sickness, and catastrophes; she’s immune to fire, radiation, toxins, corrosives, disease, and aging.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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.
