| 单词 | disaster |
| 释义 | disaster (once / 159 pages) n An earthquake, an oil spill, an economic collapse, a party with inedible food and truly awful music: Each of these could be described as a disaster, a cataclysmic event causing extreme suffering, even total destruction. Disaster made its way into the English language from Greek. The second part of the word is derived from astron — "star" or "planet," familiar from words like astronomy and astronaut. Dis- is prefix with a meaning similar to "un-" or "mis-," but with clearly negative connotations. Translated literally, disaster means "bad or unlucky star," and it's a relic of a time when astrology was considered a serious science that could predict events — including disasters you might try to avoid — in your life on Earth! WORD FAMILYdisaster: disasters, disastrous+/disastrous: disastrously USAGE EXAMPLESA search involving about 10 ships was underway to find those who were missing, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said. Washington Post(Jan 01, 2017) For fans, the thrill derives, in part, from the possibility of disaster. The New Yorker(Jan 01, 2017) A search involving around 10 ships was under way to find those who were missing, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said. The Guardian(Jan 01, 2017) 1n an event resulting in great loss and misfortune the earthquake was a disaster Syn|Hypo|Hyper calamity, cataclysm, catastrophe, tragedy act of God, force majeure, inevitable accident, unavoidable casualty, vis major a natural and unavoidable catastrophe that interrupts the expected course of events apocalypsea cosmic cataclysm in which God destroys the ruling powers of evil faminea severe shortage of food (as through crop failure) resulting in violent hunger and starvation and death kiss of deathsomething that is ruinous meltdowna disaster comparable to a nuclear meltdown plagueany large scale calamity (especially when thought to be sent by God) visitationany disaster or catastrophe tidal wavean unusual (and often destructive) rise of water along the seashore caused by a storm or a combination of wind and high tide tsunamia cataclysm resulting from a destructive sea wave caused by an earthquake or volcanic eruption the Great Calamity, the Great Hunger, the Great Starvation, the Irish Faminea famine in Ireland resulting from a potato blight; between 1846 and 1851 a million people starved to death and 1.6 million emigrated (most to America) bad luck, misfortune unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event 2n a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune his policies were a disaster Syn|Hyper catastrophe adversity, hard knocks, hardship a state of misfortune or affliction 3n an act that has disastrous consequences Hyper destruction, devastation the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists |
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