CATASTROPHIC: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for CATASTROPHIC?

Need another word that means the same as “catastrophic”? Find 19 synonyms and 30 related words for “catastrophic” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Catastrophic” are: ruinous, destructive, disastrous, calamitous, cataclysmic, tragic, fatal, dire, awful, terrible, dreadful, black, woeful, grievous, lamentable, miserable, unfortunate, devastating, violent

Catastrophic as an Adjective

Definitions of "Catastrophic" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “catastrophic” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Extremely harmful; bringing physical or financial ruin.
• Relating to geological catastrophism.
• Extremely unfortunate or unsuccessful.
• Involving a sudden and large-scale alteration in state.
• Involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering.

Synonyms of "Catastrophic" as an adjective (19 Words)

awful	Inspiring awe or admiration or wonder. You look awful you should go and lie down.
black	Relating to black people. His shirt was black within an hour.
calamitous	Having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin. Such calamitous events as fires hurricanes and floods.
cataclysmic	(of a natural event) large-scale and violent. Cataclysmic nuclear war.
destructive	Causing destruction or much damage. Destructive criticism.
devastating	Physically or spiritually devastating often used in combination. She had a devastating wit.
dire	(of a warning or threat) presaging disaster. He was in dire need of help.
disastrous	Having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin. United made a disastrous start to the season.
dreadful	Exceptionally bad or displeasing. A dreadful storm.
fatal	Controlled or decreed by fate; predetermined. There were three fatal flaws in the strategy.
grievous	Causing or marked by grief or anguish. His death was a grievous blow.
lamentable	(of an event, action, or attitude) unfortunate; regrettable. The lamentable friends trailing their long black garments.
miserable	Causing unhappiness or discomfort. His miserable treatment of his family.
ruinous	Disastrous or destructive. A ruinous course of action.
terrible	Extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact. Terrible handwriting.
tragic	Relating to tragedy in a literary work. The fact that they are so loved up reminds me just how spectacularly tragic my life is.
unfortunate	Not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune. An unfortunate turn of events.
violent	Marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions inclined to react violently fervid. A violent attack.
woeful	Very bad; deplorable. The remark was enough to establish his woeful ignorance about the theatre.

Usage Examples of "Catastrophic" as an adjective

• The body undergoes catastrophic collapse towards the state of a black hole.
• A catastrophic earthquake.
• Catastrophic mismanagement of the economy.
• Catastrophic illness.
• A catastrophic depression.

Associations of "Catastrophic" (30 Words)

bankruptcy	A state of complete lack of some abstract property. Spiritual bankruptcy.
calamitous	Having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin. Such calamitous events as fires hurricanes and floods.
caustic	A caustic substance. Caustic jokes about political assassination talk show hosts and medical ethics.
conflagration	A very intense and uncontrolled fire. Tinder dry conditions sparked fears of a conflagration in many drought devastated communities.
corrode	Become destroyed by water, air, or a corrosive such as an acid. The acid corroded the metal.
corrosive	A corrosive substance. The corrosive effects of salt water.
crushing	Causing overwhelming disappointment or embarrassment. The news came as a crushing blow.
damage	Suffer or be susceptible to damage. The car was badly damaged in the accident.
deadly	Having a rapid course and violent effect. His voice was cold and deadly.
deconstruct	Analyse a text or linguistic or conceptual system by deconstruction. I want to deconstruct this myth that poverty breeds crime.
desolate	(of a place) uninhabited and giving an impression of bleak emptiness. The droughts that desolated the dry plains.
destructive	Causing destruction or much damage. Destructive criticism.
devastate	Cause (someone) severe and overwhelming shock or grief. He was devastated by his grief when his son died.
devastating	Physically or spiritually devastating often used in combination. A devastating hurricane.
disastrous	Having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin. A disastrous fire swept through the museum.
erosive	Of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action. The erosive effects of waves on the shoreline.
failure	An event that does not accomplish its intended purpose. An economic policy that is doomed to failure.
fatal	Controlled or decreed by fate; predetermined. A fatal series of events.
harmful	Causing or likely to cause harm. Harmful effects of smoking.
iconoclasm	The action of attacking or assertively rejecting cherished beliefs and institutions or established values and practices.
iconoclastic	Criticizing or attacking cherished beliefs or institutions. An iconoclastic filmmaker who has pushed the boundaries with every film he s made.
injurious	Causing or likely to cause damage or harm. Food which is injurious to health.
lethal	Very harmful or destructive. Lethal weapon.
mournful	Feeling, expressing, or inducing sadness, regret, or grief. Stared with mournful eyes.
pathetic	Relating to the emotions. He s a pathetic excuse for a man.
ruinous	Disastrous or destructive. The cost of their ransom might be ruinous.
stifling	Making one feel constrained or oppressed. The stifling atmosphere.
tragic	Suffering extreme distress or sorrow. She wears tragic cardigans usually done up the wrong way.
unfortunate	Not indicating a good chance of success; inauspicious. Those unfortunates whose lives are marred by poverty.
vitriolic	Filled with bitter criticism or malice. Vitriolic attacks on the politicians.