disaster (dɪˈzɑːstə
)
Definitions
noun
- an occurrence that causes great distress or destruction
- a thing, project, etc, that fails or has been ruined
Alternative Forms
disˈastrous adjectiveWord Origin
C16 (originally in the sense: malevolent astral influence): from Italian disastro, from dis- (pejorative) + astro star, from Latin astrum, from Greek astronSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
catastrophe,
trouble,
blow,
accident,
stroke,
reverse,
tragedy,
ruin,
misfortune,
adversity,
calamity,
mishap,
whammy,
misadventure,
car crash,
train wreck,
cataclysm,
act of God,
bummer,
ruination,
mischance,
Translations
- British English:
disaster
A disaster is a very bad accident such as an earthquake or a plane crash.It was the second air disaster in the region.dɪˈzɑːstə NOUN It was the second air disaster in the region.
- Spanish:
desastre
nm
- French:
désastre
nm
- German:
Katastrophe
nf
- Chinese: 灾难 n
- Arabic: كارِثَة n
- Portuguese: desastre nm
- Russian: бедствие nnt
- Croatian: nepogoda nf
- Czech: katastrofa nf
- Danish: katastrofe nutr
- Dutch: ramp n
- Finnish: katastrofi n
- Greek: καταστροφή nf
- Italian: disastro nm
- Japanese: 災害 n
- Korean: 재난 n
- Norwegian: katastrofe nm
- Polish: katastrofa nf
- Brazilian Portuguese: desastre nm
- European Spanish:
desastre
nm
- Swedish: katastrof nutr
- Thai: ความหายนะ n
- Turkish: felaket n
- Vietnamese: thảm họa n
Usage examples
They could tell it was going to be a disaster from the moment Stan Barker walked into the shop.
, HIDING FROM THE LIGHT (2002)NASA chief Sean O'Keefe has dismissed any suggestion that cost cuts could have led to the disaster.
New Scientist (2003)For the Communists the election has been a predictable disaster.
Irish Times (2002)William Hague's Conservatives would be a disaster for Britain.
Glasgow Herald (2001)De Niro agreed to appear in what many recognised could be a rerun of the disaster of Novecento.
, DE NIRO: A Biography (2002)