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Disaster

/dɪˈzæs.tə/

An unexpected natural or man-made catastrophe of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life or sometimes permanent change to the natural environment.

Full Dictionary Entry

📖 Definitions of "Disaster"

noun

1
An unexpected natural or man-made catastrophe of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life or sometimes permanent change to the natural environment.
"People would suffer disasters when society's morality degenerates."
2
An unforeseen event causing great loss, upset or unpleasantness of whatever kind.

🔄 Synonyms of "Disaster"

4 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.

Word	Definition
calamitynoun	The distress that results from some disaster.
cataclysmnoun	A sudden, violent event.
catastrophenoun	Any large and disastrous event of great significance.
tragedynoun	A disastrous event, especially one involving great loss of life or injury.

💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Disaster"

Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.

Word	Definition
catastrophenoun	Any large and disastrous event of great significance.
cataclysmnoun	A sudden, violent event.
calamitynoun	The distress that results from some disaster.
tragedynoun	A disastrous event, especially one involving great loss of life or injury.
catastrophic	Disastrous; ruinous.
debaclenoun	(figurative) An event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously, often with humiliating consequences.
reductionnoun	The act, process, or result of reducing.
setbacknoun	An obstacle, delay, disadvantage, or blow (an adverse event which slows down, or prevents progress towards a desired outcome).
destructionnoun	The act of destroying.
havocnoun	Widespread devastation and destruction.
devastationnoun	The act of devastating, or the state of being devastated; a laying waste.
downfallnoun	A precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth.
lossnoun	(countable) The result of no longer possessing an object, a function, or a characteristic due to external causes or misplacement.
breakupnoun	The termination of a friendship or a romantic relationship.
ruinnoun	(uncountable) Something that leads to serious trouble or destruction.
wrecknoun	Something or someone that has been ruined.
damagenoun	Injury or harm; the condition or measure of something not being intact.
scourgenoun	(figurative) A source of persistent (and often widespread) pain and suffering or trouble, such as a cruel ruler, disease, pestilence, or war.
emergencynoun	(sometimes attributive) A situation which poses an immediate risk and which requires urgent attention.
shamblesnoun	(countable, uncountable) A scene of great disorder or ruin.