catastrophic

American  

[kat-uh-strof-ik] / ˌkæt əˈstrɒf ɪk /

Sometimes catastrophical,

adjective

1. of the nature of a catastrophe, or disastrous event; calamitous.

   a catastrophic failure of the dam.

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Other Word Forms

• catastrophically adverb
• noncatastrophic adjective
• noncatastrophically adverb
• supercatastrophic adjective
• uncatastrophic adjective
• uncatastrophically adverb

Etymology

Origin of catastrophic

First recorded in 1820–30; from Greek katastrophikós, equivalent to catastroph(e) ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )

Example Sentences

In the 20th century, several catastrophic glacial lake outbursts took place, including a 1941 incident in Peru that killed at least 1,800 people.

From The Wall Street Journal

And economic research indicates catastrophic job loss like the kind Holland feared happens at an industry level, not as a broader, economy-wide effect.

From Barron's

But premiums also cover catastrophic events like hospital stays after a car crash or cancer treatment.

From MarketWatch

One leading Iran analyst, Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group told me they could be 'catastrophic.'

From BBC

On Friday, the UN's refugee agency warned that Lebanon was facing a worsening humanitarian crisis that could become catastrophic, with more than one million people now displaced.

From BBC

Related Words

• calamitous
• cataclysmic
• disastrous
• fatal
• ruinous
• tragic