catastrophic
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of catastrophic
First recorded in 1820–30; from Greek katastrophikós, equivalent to catastroph(e) ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )
Explanation
Something catastrophic is very harmful or disastrous. When the stock market crashes, it’s a catastrophic event for investors. This is a strong word for terrible, harmful, devastating things. Tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis are catastrophic weather events. A depression is catastrophic for the economy. In sports, if the star player is injured, that's catastrophic for the team. If a parent dies, that's catastrophic for a family. Scientists worry that climate change will have a catastrophic effect on the planet. Catastrophic events are severe and horrific. Stubbing your toe isn’t catastrophic: losing your leg in an accident is.
Vocabulary lists containing catastrophic
Break It Down: Cata
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Vocabulary from the Second Presidential Debate: October 9, 2016
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Life As We Knew It
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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.
Nepali rescuers faced challenging conditions on Sunday as search operations after catastrophic floods entered a 12th day, buoyed by the extraordinary rescues of four survivors.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
But neither was enough to predict with certainty that a catastrophic collapse was imminent.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
Nepalese hydropower workers have told the BBC about the catastrophic moment water from the Trishuli River crashed into their tunnel as the region was inundated by deadly flash floods last week.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
“The status quo is untenable in the short term, and in the long term catastrophic, potentially,” Newsom said in a press conference last week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
It was as catastrophic for Hawai'i as the death of Wayna Qhapaq for Tawantinsuyu.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
