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 Word Forms

• cataclysmically adverb
• noncataclysmal adjective
• noncataclysmic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cataclysmic¹

First recorded in 1850–55; cataclysm + -ic

Example Sentences

She described the situation in the city as "cataclysmic".

From BBC

Israel's latest ground operation in Gaza City, described by a UN official as "cataclysmic", has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee.

From BBC

"The things there, and the scenes on the way to Gaza City, are nothing short of cataclysmic," she recalled.

From BBC

Mine was that even a 24-hour delay in benefit payments would have a cataclysmic fallout for the Republican Party.

From Los Angeles Times

Bass later fired Crowley as fire chief, and accused her of failing to provide adequate warning of the potential for a cataclysmic wind event.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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