catastrophe

[ kuh-tas-truh-fee ]
See synonyms for: catastrophecatastrophalcatastrophic on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a sudden and widespread disaster: the catastrophe of war.

  2. any misfortune, mishap, or failure; fiasco: The play was so poor our whole evening was a catastrophe.

  1. a final event or conclusion, usually an unfortunate one; a disastrous end: the great catastrophe of the Old South at Appomattox.

  2. (in a drama) the point at which the circumstances overcome the central motive, introducing the close or conclusion; dénouement.: Compare catastasis, epitasis, protasis.

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

  4. Also called ca·tas·tro·phe func·tion [kuh-tas-truh-fee fuhngk-shuhn] /kəˈtæs trə fi ˌfʌŋk ʃən/ .Mathematics. any of the mathematical functions that describe the discontinuities that are treated in catastrophe theory.

Origin of catastrophe

1
First recorded in 1570–80; from Greek katastrophḗ “an overturning,” from katastréphein “to overturn”; equivalent to cata- + strophe

synonym study For catastrophe

1, 3. See disaster.

Other words for catastrophe

Opposites for catastrophe

Other words from catastrophe

  • cat·a·stroph·ic [kat-uh-strof-ik], /ˌkæt əˈstrɒf ɪk/, cat·a·stroph·i·cal, ca·tas·tro·phal, adjective
  • su·per·ca·tas·tro·phe, noun

Words Nearby catastrophe

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use catastrophe in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for catastrophe

catastrophe

/ (kəˈtæstrəfɪ) /


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

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

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

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

Origin of catastrophe

1
C16: from Greek katastrophē, from katastrephein to overturn, from strephein to turn

Derived forms of catastrophe

  • catastrophic (ˌkætəˈstrɒfɪk), adjective
  • catastrophically, adverb

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