Catastrophic: meaning, definitions and examples

💥
Add to dictionary

catastrophic

 

[ ˌkæt.əˈstrɑː.fɪk ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

disastrous event

Involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering; extremely harmful or severe.

Synonyms

calamitous, cataclysmic, devastating, disastrous, tragic

Examples of usage

  • The catastrophic earthquake destroyed the entire city.
  • The catastrophic effects of climate change are becoming increasingly evident.
Context #2 | Adjective

extremely bad

Extremely unfortunate or unsuccessful; terrible or dreadful.

Synonyms

calamitous, cataclysmic, devastating, disastrous, tragic

Examples of usage

  • The project was a catastrophic failure.
  • The decision had catastrophic consequences.

Translations

Translations of the word "catastrophic" in other languages:

🇵🇹 catastrófico

🇮🇳 विनाशकारी

🇩🇪 katastrophal

🇮🇩 katastropik

🇺🇦 катастрофічний

🇵🇱 katastrofalny

🇯🇵 壊滅的

🇫🇷 catastrophique

🇪🇸 catastrófico

🇹🇷 felaket

🇰🇷 재앙적인

🇸🇦 كارثي

🇨🇿 katastrofální

🇸🇰 katastrofický

🇨🇳 灾难性的

🇸🇮 katastrofalen

🇮🇸 hamfarir

🇰🇿 апат

🇬🇪 კატასტროფული

🇦🇿 fəlakətli

🇲🇽 catastrófico

Etymology

The word 'catastrophic' originated from the Greek word 'katastrophikos', meaning 'determined by a downfall'. It first appeared in the English language in the early 17th century. The term gained popularity in the context of natural disasters and significant failures, emphasizing the severity and impact of such events.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #11,704, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.