Synonyms for cataclysm
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Catastrophe
2. Deluge
Definitions
- n. 1
A sudden, violent event.
- n. 2
A sudden and violent change in the earth's crust.
Related words
- Word family
- cataclysmal cataclysmic catastrophe
Forms
- Plural
- cataclysms → catastrophes, calamities, apocalypses, disasters…
Choose the right word
A cataclysm or catastrophe is some great convulsion or momentous event that may or may not be a cause of misery to man.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- disaster We will first ascertain the cause of the disaster.
- apocalypse The Quran gives vivid descriptions of the Apocalypse.
- catastrophe Is the world on the edge of a nuclear catastrophe?
- calamity The anticipation is always worse than the calamity.
- flood The flood waters are predicted to engulf the town.
- deluge Gabriel received a deluge of messages from his students.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| cataclysm | rising | |
| disaster | rising | |
| apocalypse | rising | |
| catastrophe | steady | |
| calamity | steady | |
| flood | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 5 letters
- flood1
- 6 letters
- deluge2
- 7 letters
- tragedy3
- 8 letters
- disaster3, overflow3, calamity4
- 10 letters
- apocalypse4, inundation4
- 11 letters
- catastrophe4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (deluge2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- cataclysme
- Italiano
- cataclisma
- Español
- cataclismo
- Deutsch
- Naturkatastrophe
- Català
- cataclisme