Synonyms for catastrophe
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Disaster
disaster, calamity, cataclysm, tragedy, apocalypse, misfortune, casualty, mishap, misadventure, blow, woe, reverse, visitation, mischance, affliction
2. Denouement
denouement, issue, conclusion, consummation, upshot, termination
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
Any large and disastrous event of great significance.
The Chernobyl disaster was a catastrophe.
- n. 2
A disaster beyond expectations.
Related words
Forms
- Plural
- catastrophes → disasters, calamities, cataclysms, tragedies…
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. In literature, the final event of a drama is the catastrophe, or denouement.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- disaster We will first ascertain the cause of the disaster.
- tragedy There's a strong probability of a nuclear tragedy.
- calamity The anticipation is always worse than the calamity.
- cataclysm Tom lives in constant fear of a cataclysm.
- revolution He was one of the unsung heroes of the revolution.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| catastrophe | steady | |
| disaster | rising | |
| tragedy | steady | |
| calamity | steady | |
| cataclysm | rising | |
| denouement | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- woe1
- 4 letters
- blow1
- 5 letters
- issue2
- 6 letters
- mishap2, upshot2
- 7 letters
- reverse2, tragedy3
- 8 letters
- disaster3, casualty4, calamity4
- 9 letters
- cataclysm4, mischance
- 10 letters
- revolution4, conclusion3, apocalypse4, misfortune3, visitation4, affliction3, denouement3
- 11 letters
- termination4
- 12 letters
- consummation4, misadventure4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (issue2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- catastrophe
- Italiano
- catastrofe
- Español
- catástrofe
- Català
- catàstrofe