cataclysmic

or cat·a·clys·mal

[ kat-uh-kliz-mik ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resulting from a cataclysm.
2. of the nature of, or having the effect of, a cataclysm:

   cataclysmic changes.

Other Words From

• cata·clysmi·cal·ly adverb
• noncat·a·clysmal adjective
• noncat·a·clysmic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cataclysmic¹

First recorded in 1850–55; cataclysm + -ic

Related Words

• calamitous
• catastrophic
• disastrous
• fatal
• ruinous
• tragic