Cataclysmal: meaning, definitions and examples
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cataclysmal
[ ˌkætəˈklɪzməl ]
disastrous event
Cataclysmal refers to a significant, often violent event that causes great destruction or upheaval. This term is used to describe events such as natural disasters or tumultuous changes that have profound effects on geography, society, or ecology.
Synonyms
calamitous, catastrophic, devastating, disastrous, tragic.
Examples of usage
- The cataclysmal earthquake resulted in widespread devastation.
- Many historical records detail the cataclysmal floods that altered entire landscapes.
- The cataclysmal event led to significant changes in the climate.
- Society struggled to recover from the cataclysmal impacts of war.
Translations
Translations of the word "cataclysmal" in other languages:
🇵🇹 cataclísmico
🇮🇳 महाप्रलयकारी
🇩🇪 katastrophal
🇮🇩 kataklizmis
🇺🇦 катаклізмічний
🇵🇱 kataklizmiczny
🇯🇵 大災害の
🇫🇷 cataclysmique
🇪🇸 cataclísmico
🇹🇷 kıyamet gibi
🇰🇷 대재앙의
🇸🇦 كوارثي
🇨🇿 kataklysmický
🇸🇰 kataklizmatický
🇨🇳 灾难性的
🇸🇮 kataklizmičen
🇮🇸 kataklýsmískur
🇰🇿 катаклизмдік
🇬🇪 კატაკლიზმური
🇦🇿 kataklizmik
🇲🇽 cataclísmico
Etymology
The word 'cataclysmal' is derived from the noun 'cataclysm,' which comes from the Greek word 'kataklysmos,' meaning 'a flood, inundation, or violent water.' The term evolved in the 17th century to refer to any large-scale and violent event or change, extending beyond floods to include various types of natural disasters and significant societal upheavals. Since then, 'cataclysm' has been commonly associated with land-altering events such as earthquakes or drastic climate changes, hence leading to the adjective 'cataclysmal' that describes the attributes of such catastrophic occurrences.