Catastrophe
/kəˈtæstrəfi/
Definitions
An event causing great and sudden damage or suffering; a disaster.
/kəˈtæstrəfi/
A sudden great disaster.
The hurricane caused a major catastrophe.
💡 Simply: A really bad thing that happens suddenly, causing a lot of trouble.
👶 For kids: A big, bad accident that makes a mess.
More Examples
The stock market crash was a financial catastrophe.
How It's Used
"The earthquake was a terrible catastrophe."
"The play ended in a dramatic catastrophe."
From Late Latin *catastrophe, from Greek καταστροφή (katastrophḗ), from καταστρέφειν (katastréphein) "to overturn, overthrow, ruin", from κατά (katá) "down" + στρέφειν (stréphein) "to turn".
Historically, the word often referred to a turning point in a play or story, particularly a tragic one. Its modern usage emphasizes the destructive aspect.
Memory tip
Think 'cat' + 'astro' (stars) + 'phe' (phone) - imagine a cat destroying a star phone - a big disaster!