calamitously

IPA/kəˈlæm.ɪ.təs.li/
IPA/kəˈlæm.ə.t̬əs.li/

calamitously — adverb

1. in a manner that leads to disastrous results, widespread harm, or terrible suffe

1.adverbC2
Definition

in a manner that leads to disastrous results, widespread harm, or terrible suffering

Example

Folake's family farm calamitously failed after three years without rain.

calamitously + verb (failed)

A small programming error calamitously shut down the hospital's medical records system.

Common collocations
  • fail calamitously
  • go calamitously wrong
  • calamitously affect
  • calamitously damage
Synonyms
  • disastrously

    more common in everyday speech; slightly less intense

  • catastrophically

    implies sudden, large-scale destruction that is difficult to recover from

Grammar Patterns

calamitously + verb

verb + calamitously

Usage Note

Typically used in formal or written contexts such as news reports and historical accounts. Less common in everyday conversation, where 'disastrously' is preferred.

Common Mistakes

My exam results went calamitously.
My exam results went disastrously.
'calamitously' implies large-scale harm affecting many people, not just personal setbacks.

calamitously — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe events that cause serious harm, but they differ in intensity and typical use. 'Disastrous' is the most common and versatile — it can apply to anything from a failed dinner party to a hurricane. 'Catastrophic' implies sudden, sweeping destruction that is difficult or impossible to recover from; it often describes natural disasters or large-scale tragedies. 'Calamitous' is close to 'catastrophic' but places more emphasis on the resulting suffering and misfortune of the people affected. 'Ruinous' focuses specifically on the destruction of value — financial, structural, or reputational. Examples: 'The storm had a disastrous effect on the fishing season' (generally bad); 'The storm had a calamitous effect on the fishing season' (many lost their livelihoods); 'The storm had a catastrophic effect on the fishing season' (the industry may never recover); 'The storm was ruinous for local boat owners' (they lost their boats).

calamitous ↗catastrophic ↗disastrous ↗ruinous

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • end in calamitous failure
  • suffer calamitous losses
  • have a calamitous impact

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word comes from Latin 'calamitas' meaning 'damage, loss, or disaster'. In late Latin, the adjective 'calamitosus' was formed. This passed into French as 'calamiteux' and then into English as 'calamitous'. The adverb 'calamitously' was created by adding the suffix '-ly' to the adjective.

First known use

1545

1545, in the meaning defined above