catastrophe

(kə-tăs'trə-fē)
n.

1. A great, often sudden calamity.
2. A complete failure; a fiasco: The food was cold, the guests quarreled-the whole dinner was a catastrophe.
3. The concluding action of a drama, especially a classical tragedy, following the climax and containing a resolution of the plot.
4. A sudden violent change in the earth's surface; a cataclysm.

[Greek katastrophē, an overturning, ruin, conclusion, from katastrephein, to ruin, undo : kata-, cata- + strephein, to turn.]

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noun

An occurrence inflicting widespread destruction and distress: calamity, cataclysm, disaster, tragedy. See help/harm/harmless.

n

Definition: calamity; unhappy conclusion
Antonyms: benefit, blessing, favor, good fortune, good luck, happiness, miracle, success, wonder

catastrophe, the final resolution or dénouement of the plot in a tragedy, usually involving the death of the protagonist.

IN BRIEF: Any great and sudden misfortune or calamity.

Most of us would rather risk catastrophe than read the directions. — Mignon McLaughlin.

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For a list of words related to catastrophe, see:

• Insurance - catastrophe: sudden, violent loss

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See words rhyming with "catastrophe."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Catastrophe.

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - katastrofe

Nederlands (Dutch)
catastrofe

Français (French)
n. - catastrophe

Deutsch (German)
n. - Katastrophe

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - καταστροφή, όλεθρος

Italiano (Italian)
catastrofe

Português (Portuguese)
n. - catástrofe (m)

Русский (Russian)
катастрофа

Español (Spanish)
n. - catástrofe, desastre

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - katastrof, upplösning (dram.)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
大灾难, 大祸

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 大災難, 大禍

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 희곡의 대단원, 대이변, 파멸

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 大災害, 大詰め, 悲劇的結末, 破局

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) كارثه, فاجعه, نكبه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮אסון, שואה, קטסטרופה, התרת התסבוכת של דרמה, היפוך סדר הדברים, חורבן‬

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