catastrophe

[kuh-tas-truh-fee]

noun

1. a sudden and widespread disaster.

   the catastrophe of war.

   Synonyms: calamity, misfortune
   Antonyms: triumph

2. any misfortune, mishap, or failure; fiasco.

   The play was so poor our whole evening was a catastrophe.

3. a final event or conclusion, usually an unfortunate one; a disastrous end.

   the great catastrophe of the Old South at Appomattox.

   Antonyms: triumph

4. (in a drama) the point at which the circumstances overcome the central motive, introducing the close or conclusion; dénouement.

5. Geology.,  a sudden, violent disturbance, especially of a part of the surface of the earth; cataclysm.

6. Also called catastrophe function. Mathematics.,  any of the mathematical functions that describe the discontinuities that are treated in catastrophe theory.

catastrophe

/ kəˈtæstrəfɪ, ˌkætəˈstrɒfɪk /

noun

1. a sudden, extensive, or notable disaster or misfortune

2. the denouement of a play, esp a classical tragedy

3. a final decisive event, usually causing a disastrous end

4. Also called: cataclysm. any sudden and violent change in the earth's surface caused by flooding, earthquake, or some other rapid process

Other Word Forms

• catastrophic adjective
• catastrophical adjective
• catastrophal adjective
• supercatastrophe noun
• catastrophically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of catastrophe¹

First recorded in 1570–80; from Greek katastrophḗ “an overturning,” from katastréphein “to overturn”; equivalent to cata- + strophe

Word History and Origins

Origin of catastrophe¹

C16: from Greek katastrophē, from katastrephein to overturn, from strephein to turn

Synonym Study

See disaster.

Example Sentences

Dying for Food looks at just one part of Gaza's humanitarian catastrophe.

From BBC

Faced with the current catastrophe in Gaza, and meting out condemnation for both Israel and Hamas, French President Emmanuel Macron said "right must prevail over might".

From BBC

The Dodger bullpen is a five-alarm fire, an unmitigated disaster, a total catastrophe.

From Los Angeles Times

The UN has warned that an intensification of the offensive will push civilians into "even deeper catastrophe".

From BBC

The evidence available so far suggests that this year’s algae bloom would have been just as deadly if the catastrophe on land hadn’t happened, multiple scientists said this week.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accident 
• adversity 
• calamity 
• casualty 
• cataclysm 
• crash 
• debacle 
• devastation 
• disaster 
• emergency 
• failure 
• fiasco 
• hardship 
• meltdown 
• misery 
• mishap 
• tragedy 
• trouble 
• wreck