Catastrophic — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective /kə-ˈta-strə-(ˌ)fē/ ca·tas·tro·phe

Meaning & Definition of Catastrophic

Catastrophic (noun)

  1. a momentous tragic event ranging from extreme misfortune to utter overthrow or ruin
  2. utter failure, fiasco
  3. a violent and sudden change in a feature of the earth

Catastrophic (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. bringing about ruin or misfortune

    "a catastrophic tornado destroyed the hamlet's only house of worship"

    similar: calamitous, cataclysmal, damning, destructive, disastrous, fatal, fateful, ruinous, unfortunate
    related: apocalyptic, hapless, ill-fated, ill-starred, luckless, adverse, baleful, baneful, damaging, deleterious, detrimental, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, noxious, pernicious, prejudicial
    near: fluky, fortuitous, fortunate, happy, lucky, providential, auspicious, bright, encouraging, fair, golden, heartening, hopeful, optimistic, promising, propitious, rose-colored, rosy, upbeat

Related Entry: Catastrophe (noun)

Catastrophe is a different word from Catastrophic. The synonyms below are for catastrophe, not for catastrophic.

  1. a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction

    "more than one natural catastrophe has threatened to destroy their farm over the years"

    similar: apocalypse, calamity, cataclysm, debacle, disaster, tragedy
    related: bloodbath, collapse, crash, meltdown, Armageddon, doomsday, end-time, convulsion, paroxysm, upheaval, accident, casualty, fatality, misadventure, mischance, misfortune, mishap, blast, blow, double whammy, one-two
    near: godsend, manna, windfall

  2. something that has failed

    "the movie was a catastrophe, nearly bankrupting the studio that produced it"

    similar: bomb, bummer, bust, clinker, clunker, debacle, disaster, dud, failure, fiasco, fizzle, flop, frost, lemon, loser, miss, shipwreck, turkey, washout
    related: also-ran, disappointment, dog, has-been, near miss, botch, hash, mess, muddle, shambles, nonevent, nonstarter
    opposite: blockbuster, hit, smash, success, winner
    near: corker, crackerjack, dandy, jim-dandy, phenomenon

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Catastrophic

The most common words with a similar meaning to Catastrophic:

calamitous, cataclysmal, damning, destructive, disastrous, fatal, fateful, ruinous, unfortunate

Related Words for Catastrophic

apocalyptic, hapless, ill-fated, ill-starred, luckless, adverse, baleful, baneful, damaging, deleterious, detrimental, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, noxious, pernicious, prejudicial

Near Antonyms of Catastrophic

fluky, fortuitous, fortunate, happy, lucky, providential, auspicious, bright, encouraging, fair, golden, heartening, hopeful, optimistic, promising, propitious, rose-colored, rosy, upbeat

Word Forms of Catastrophic

Inflections: catastrophes

Derived words: catastrophic (adjective), catastrophically (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Catastrophic

Greek katastrophē, from katastrephein to overturn, from kata- + strephein to turn

First known use: 1540

Frequently Asked Questions about Catastrophic

What does "Catastrophic" mean?

"Catastrophic" means a momentous tragic event ranging from extreme misfortune to utter overthrow or ruin. As an a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: a momentous tragic event ranging from extreme misfortune to utter overthrow or ruin.

What is another word for "Catastrophic"?

Other words for "Catastrophic" include calamitous, cataclysmal, damning, destructive, disastrous, fatal, fateful and ruinous. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Catastrophic" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Catastrophic"?

There are 28 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Catastrophic". Common alternatives include calamitous, cataclysmal, damning, destructive, disastrous, fatal, fateful, ruinous and unfortunate.

How do you use "Catastrophic" in a sentence?

Examples of "Catastrophic" in a sentence: "a catastrophic tornado destroyed the hamlet's only house of worship".

Is "Catastrophic" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Catastrophic" can be used as a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Catastrophic"?

"Catastrophic" is pronounced /kə-ˈta-strə-(ˌ)fē/ and divided into syllables as ca·tas·tro·phe.

What is the origin of the word "Catastrophic"?

"Catastrophic" comes from Greek katastrophē, from katastrephein to overturn, from kata- + strephein to turn. First known use: 1540.

What is another word for "Catastrophic" meaning "bringing about ruin or misfortune"?

When "Catastrophic" (adjective) means bringing about ruin or misfortune, synonyms include calamitous, cataclysmal, damning, destructive, disastrous and fatal.