noun
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a disaster or misfortune, esp one causing extreme havoc, distress, or misery
-
a state or feeling of deep distress or misery
Synonym Usage
See disaster.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of calamity
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English calamite, from Middle French, from Latin calamitāt-, stem of calamitās (also kadamitas ) “crop failure, disaster,” of disputed origin; often considered to be derived from calam(us) “cane, reed” + -itās -ity ( def. ), but perhaps instead akin to columus “safe,” incolumitās “safety”
Explanation
Use the word calamity to describe an event that causes great harm and misery, or a general state of distress or misery: the calamity of war. Near synonyms are catastrophe and disaster. The noun calamity is from Middle English calamytey, from Latin calamitas, a word which might be related to Latin clades "destruction." Calamity Jane was the nickname of a 19th-century woman living on the U.S. frontier. She claimed to have some very exciting adventures.
Vocabulary lists containing calamity
List 8
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The Crossover
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100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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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.
The very readable, if long and winding, “The Calamity Club” focuses on a crew of frequently ill-used, tough-minded white women.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
At a course where the most famous hole is named Calamity Corner, the American's consistent ability to avoid disaster was again the most striking element of his game.
From BBC • Jul. 19, 2025
They also run through a list of “Bad Arguments for Space Settlement,” which include “Space Will Save Humanity from Near-Term Calamity by Providing a New Home,” and “Space Exploration Is a Natural Human Urge.”
From Salon • Nov. 27, 2023
Calamity struck twice for Robert Frederickson, just a few weeks apart.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 26, 2023
And six tiny kittens, not much bigger than the mice Calamity was such a calamity at catching.
From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby
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.
