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Synonyms

calamitous

American  
[kuh-lam-i-tuhs] / kəˈlæm ɪ təs /

adjective

  1. causing or involving calamity; disastrous.

    a calamitous defeat.
    Synonyms:
    devastating, ruinous, catastrophic
    Antonyms:
    advantageous, beneficial
calamitous British  
/ kəˈlæmɪtəs /

adjective

  1. causing, involving, or resulting in a calamity; disastrous

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • calamitously adverb
  • calamitousness noun
  • uncalamitous adjective
  • uncalamitously adverb

Etymology

Origin of calamitous

First recorded in 1535–45; calamit(y) + -ous

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.

“Malcolm in the Middle,” a popular series about a tightly knit calamitous family of weirdos and the relatively less weird child at its center, is back after 20 years.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The opening defeat by north London rivals Arsenal was followed by losses against Fulham and Crystal Palace in the league before a calamitous 5-2 Champions League last 16 first-leg defeat away to Atletico Madrid.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

A calamitous 5-2 defeat by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday marked a new low point in Spurs' shambolic season.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

The shift is most enduring and consequential across Europe, where the trans-Atlantic partnership that kept the peace after two calamitous world wars is at risk of unraveling.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

His reputation then fell victim to two nearly calamitous setbacks, one beyond his control and the other the product of his personal flair for perversity.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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.