cataclysmic

American

[kat-uh-kliz-mik] / ˌkæt əˈklɪz mɪk /

Or cataclysmal

adjective

of, relating to, or resulting from a cataclysm.
of the nature of, or having the effect of, a cataclysm.

cataclysmic changes.

Other Word Forms

cataclysmically adverb
noncataclysmal adjective
noncataclysmic adjective

Etymology

Origin of cataclysmic

First recorded in 1850–55; cataclysm + -ic

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.

Sixteen months of a cataclysmic offensive to try to occupy the town of Pokrovsk, which I also know and where I also filmed.

From The Wall Street Journal

A year and a bit on from a cataclysmic election defeat, the Tories have become more unpopular.

From BBC

She described the situation in the city as "cataclysmic".

From BBC

Israel's latest ground operation in Gaza City, described by a UN official as "cataclysmic", has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee.

From BBC

"The things there, and the scenes on the way to Gaza City, are nothing short of cataclysmic," she recalled.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023