Synonyms

catastrophic

American

[kat-uh-strof-ik] / ˌkæt əˈstrɒf ɪk /

Sometimes catastrophical,

adjective

of the nature of a catastrophe, or disastrous event; calamitous.

a catastrophic failure of the dam.

Other Word Forms

catastrophically adverb
noncatastrophic adjective
noncatastrophically adverb
supercatastrophic adjective
uncatastrophic adjective
uncatastrophically adverb

Etymology

Origin of catastrophic

First recorded in 1820–30; from Greek katastrophikós, equivalent to catastroph(e) ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )

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 result of this miscalculation may very well be catastrophic.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

In the 20th century, several catastrophic glacial lake outbursts took place, including a 1941 incident in Peru that killed at least 1,800 people.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

In 2009, he told me, he worked on a graduate research project on exactly that chokepoint: how critical it was, how catastrophic its closure would be for the global economy.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

But economic research indicates catastrophic job loss like the kind Holland feared happens at an industry level, not as a broader, economy-wide effect.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

The catastrophic death toll in the New World was part of a profitable system that was far from unique.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023