disaster

noun

di-ˈza-stər How to pronounce disaster (audio)
Definition of disasternext
1
as in catastrophe
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction hurricanes are natural disasters

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in failure
something that has failed an utter disaster, the play opened and closed on the same miserable night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disaster Videos of the disaster showed people running before the floodwaters swallowed them up and washed out buildings and bridges. — Shristi Kafle, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 Australia’s National Emergency Management Agency has warned that the growing trend of concurrent and cascading disasters is expected to continue and, in many cases, increase. — Milad Haghani, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026 The Senate unanimously passed those regulations as part of the ROTOR Act last December as the first anniversary of the American Eagle Flight 5342 disaster approached. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026 The State Department is closely monitoring the situation and is deploying a disaster response advisor to the region to support response efforts. — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disaster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disaster
  1. catastrophe
  2. failure
  3. tragedy
  4. disappointment
  5. apocalypse
  6. bust
  7. calamity
Noun
  • Summary Coastal and high-risk hotels face soaring insurance premiums, up 45-100%, as natural catastrophe losses escalate.
    — Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • That didn’t stop catastrophes like the 2018 fire in the Sierra foothills that destroyed the town of Paradise and killed 85.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • The failures resulted in a divorce during the offseason and this exhibition game at Hard Rock Stadium was the first time the couple happened to be at the same place at the same time since the split.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • For five months, these players have underperformed, much to the chagrin of their front offices and the fans, who repeatedly boo their failures.
    — Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • But the scale of the tragedy is becoming clear, with social media filled with countless pleas for help – including from the Nepali diaspora overseas.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Quite the tragedy because my brows are such a prominent part of my face.
    — Iman Balagam, Vogue, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of tragedy
Noun
  • At the same time, the Panthers saw very little impact from their pass rush — a disappointment considering the beleaguered state of Houston’s offensive line — and Stroud didn’t struggle to find short completions.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2026
  • In the comments, fans congratulated Aly on her Broadway debut while others shared their disappointment over not being able to see the duo live.
    — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of disappointment
Noun
  • Why private credit may avoid a ‘crisis-apocalypse’ Blackstone’s scale attracts outsized scrutiny, and investors’ attempts to pull money from its private credit funds earlier this year made headline news.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Messages break down, signals decay, information rots; the stuff of everyday data dystopia and media apocalypse, but in Braxton’s hands, raw material to be shaped into something recombinant and strange.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of apocalypse
Noun
  • The most typical public piece is a bust, but Plasencia proposed the idea of a monument, and it was accepted.
    — Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
  • At the height of the bust, a hundred and sixty-one smokejumpers fought fires across the state.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of bust
Noun
  • The ads’ claims of calamity are certain to be contested by the union backing the tax, SEIU United Healthworkers West.
    — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Indeed, conflict and calamities are major factors in financial repression.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of calamity

Browse Nearby Words

disassociating
disaster
disasters
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Cite this Entry

“Disaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disaster. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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