disaster

noun

di·sas·ter di-ˈza-stər How to pronounce disaster (audio)

-ˈsa-

plural disasters

: a sudden calamitous event bringing great damage, loss, or destruction

natural disasters

: someone or something that is very bad: such as

: someone or something that is extremely unsuccessful

The wedding reception was a complete disaster.

Brilliant at maths and languages, she was a disaster in physical education …

Derek Scally

: someone or something that has a very bad effect or result

The new coach was a disaster for the team.

"… for the average person, when unemployment strikes, it is a disaster for them. …"

Peggy Nash

The Battle of Fort Washington took place at the north end of Manhattan Island. It was an unmitigated disaster.

John F. Di Leo

It can be tough to tell, though, whether an investment is solid or a financial disaster waiting to happen.

Katie Brockman

… the police chief … warned colleagues of the potential for a deadly accident. And … the editor of a major … magazine said it was a recipe for disaster.

Patrick Kingsley

These negative reviews aren't the end of the world, but they can spell disaster for your business unless you know how to properly respond.

Amine Rahal

: someone who is in a very agitated emotional state : wreck

"… I cried like a baby and kind of had a breakdown. I really just lost it. The weekend after we wrapped, I was a disaster. …"

Alex Borstein

: someone or something that is in a very disordered state or condition : mess

The house is a complete disaster.

I got caught in the rain and showed up looking like a disaster.

obsolete, occult : an unfavorable aspect (see aspect sense 2a) of a planet or star

Did you know?

Disaster has its roots in the belief that the positions of stars influence the fate of humans, often in destructive ways; its original meaning in English was "an unfavorable aspect of a planet or star." The word comes to us through Middle French and the Old Italian word disastro, from the Latin prefix dis- and Latin astro, meaning "star." Another unfortunate word that comes to us from astrological beliefs is "ill-starred." Now generally used in the sense of "unlucky" or "having or destined to a hapless fate," "ill-starred" was originally used literally to describe someone born under or guided by an evil star. We also have star-crossed, meaning "not favored by the stars" or "ill-fated."

Example Sentences

The program examined several bridge failures and other engineering disasters. The new regulations could be a disaster for smaller businesses. They're trying to find a way to avoid disaster. The dinner party was a complete disaster.

Recent Examples on the Web More than 11 years after Japan's worst nuclear disaster, the town that hosts the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant finally lifted its evacuation order today, allowing former residents to return home.

Alexandra Meeks, CNN, 30 Aug. 2022 The 1999 gathering was a complete disaster, filled with violence, fighting, and heavy rioting.

Janaya Wecker, Town & Country, 29 Aug. 2022 If a British government facilitated this social disaster, another kind of scandal, unnoticed to begin with, was the Scottish limited partnership.

Geoffrey Wheatcroft, The New Republic, 24 Aug. 2022 If the conflict continues, experts fear a disaster involving a meltdown of the nuclear core, releasing tons of radioactive material into the environment.

Miriam Fauzia, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2022 Without urgent and radical solutions, these forces will combine to produce a massive medical disaster—one that will prove far more destructive and costly than Covid-19.

Robert Pearl, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 Concerns about Diablo Canyon were revived in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, a reactor that was vulnerable due to its location on the coast.

John Timmer, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2022 Seoul’s mayor this week announced plans to phase out half-basement units in response to the disaster, which residents and experts say is only a short-term solution to growing housing and income inequality in the area around the capital.

Min Joo Kim, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2022 The disaster, which the government said was sparked by a lightning strike on Aug. 5, destroyed half of the oil-storage capacity at the industrial port of Matanzas, some 50 miles east of the capital Havana.

Santiago Pérez, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2022 See More

单词	disaster
释义	disaster noun di·sas·ter di-ˈza-stər -ˈsa- plural disasters 1 : a sudden calamitous event bringing great damage, loss, or destruction natural disasters 2 : someone or something that is very bad: such as a : someone or something that is extremely unsuccessful The wedding reception was a complete disaster. Brilliant at maths and languages, she was a disaster in physical education … Derek Scally b : someone or something that has a very bad effect or result The new coach was a disaster for the team. "… for the average person, when unemployment strikes, it is a disaster for them. …" Peggy Nash The Battle of Fort Washington took place at the north end of Manhattan Island. It was an unmitigated disaster. John F. Di Leo It can be tough to tell, though, whether an investment is solid or a financial disaster waiting to happen. Katie Brockman … the police chief … warned colleagues of the potential for a deadly accident. And … the editor of a major … magazine said it was a recipe for disaster. Patrick Kingsley These negative reviews aren't the end of the world, but they can spell disaster for your business unless you know how to properly respond. Amine Rahal c : someone who is in a very agitated emotional state : wreck "… I cried like a baby and kind of had a breakdown. I really just lost it. The weekend after we wrapped, I was a disaster. …" Alex Borstein d : someone or something that is in a very disordered state or condition : mess The house is a complete disaster. I got caught in the rain and showed up looking like a disaster. 3 obsolete, occult : an unfavorable aspect (see aspect sense 2a) of a planet or star Did you know? Disaster has its roots in the belief that the positions of stars influence the fate of humans, often in destructive ways; its original meaning in English was "an unfavorable aspect of a planet or star." The word comes to us through Middle French and the Old Italian word disastro, from the Latin prefix dis- and Latin astro, meaning "star." Another unfortunate word that comes to us from astrological beliefs is "ill-starred." Now generally used in the sense of "unlucky" or "having or destined to a hapless fate," "ill-starred" was originally used literally to describe someone born under or guided by an evil star. We also have star-crossed, meaning "not favored by the stars" or "ill-fated." Synonyms apocalypse calamity cataclysm catastrophe debacle débâcle tragedy See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences The program examined several bridge failures and other engineering disasters. The new regulations could be a disaster for smaller businesses. They're trying to find a way to avoid disaster. The dinner party was a complete disaster. Recent Examples on the Web More than 11 years after Japan's worst nuclear disaster, the town that hosts the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant finally lifted its evacuation order today, allowing former residents to return home. Alexandra Meeks, CNN, 30 Aug. 2022 The 1999 gathering was a complete disaster, filled with violence, fighting, and heavy rioting. Janaya Wecker, Town & Country, 29 Aug. 2022 If a British government facilitated this social disaster, another kind of scandal, unnoticed to begin with, was the Scottish limited partnership. Geoffrey Wheatcroft, The New Republic, 24 Aug. 2022 If the conflict continues, experts fear a disaster involving a meltdown of the nuclear core, releasing tons of radioactive material into the environment. Miriam Fauzia, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2022 Without urgent and radical solutions, these forces will combine to produce a massive medical disaster—one that will prove far more destructive and costly than Covid-19. Robert Pearl, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 Concerns about Diablo Canyon were revived in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, a reactor that was vulnerable due to its location on the coast. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2022 Seoul’s mayor this week announced plans to phase out half-basement units in response to the disaster, which residents and experts say is only a short-term solution to growing housing and income inequality in the area around the capital. Min Joo Kim, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2022 The disaster, which the government said was sparked by a lightning strike on Aug. 5, destroyed half of the oil-storage capacity at the industrial port of Matanzas, some 50 miles east of the capital Havana. Santiago Pérez, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle French & Old Italian; Middle French desastre, from Old Italian disastro, from dis- (from Latin) + astro star, from Latin astrum — more at astral First Known Use 1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Phrases Containing disaster disaster area disaster strikes court disaster spell disaster natural disaster disaster relief unmitigated disaster disaster waiting to happen recipe for disaster disaster area disaster strikes court disaster spell disaster natural disaster disaster relief unmitigated disaster disaster waiting to happen recipe for disaster See More Kids Definition disaster noun di·sas·ter diz-ˈas-tər dis- : something (as a flood or a tornado) that happens suddenly and causes much suffering or loss disaster noun 1 as in catastrophe a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction hurricanes are natural disasters Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance catastrophe apocalypse tragedy calamity accident debacle fatality casualty cataclysm débâcle crash collapse bloodbath meltdown upheaval misfortune doomsday misadventure convulsion blow mishap Armageddon paroxysm mischance double whammy end-time one-two punch blast one-two Antonyms & Near Antonyms windfall godsend manna 2 as in failure something that has failed an utter disaster, the play opened and closed on the same miserable night Synonyms & Similar Words catastrophe failure disappointment bust fiasco bomb shipwreck loser debacle miss mess flop washout dud frost lemon débâcle fizzle turkey bummer clunker clinker dog shambles botch near miss hash nonevent has-been muddle nonstarter also-ran Antonyms & Near Antonyms success blockbuster hit winner phenomenon smash crackerjack dandy corker crackajack jim-dandy See More
随便看	Malin Head malinche maline malines malinger malingered malingerer malingerers malingering malingers Malinke malinkes malinoes Malinois malinoises Malinovsky Malinowski malinowskite malintegration malinvestment malis malis avibus maliseet Maliseet maliseets

disaster

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing disaster

Kids Definition

noun

noun