catastrophic
/ˌkætəˈstrɒfɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌkætəˈstrɑːfɪk/ (ame, ipa)
catastrophic — adjective
1. occurring with such force and extent that lives, property, or systems are ruined
occurring with such force and extent that lives, property, or systems are ruined completely and often cannot recover quickly.
The 2011 earthquake caused catastrophic damage to the coastal city of Sendai.
collocation: catastrophic damage
A catastrophic flood swept away entire villages along the Mekong Delta.
catastrophic + noun (flood) in subject position
Climate scientists warn that rising sea levels could have catastrophic effects on island nations.
The oil spill was catastrophic for local fishing communities, destroying their main source of income.
Without emergency food aid, the drought could lead to a catastrophic famine across the region.
- disastrous
similar meaning but often focuses on the failure of a plan or event rather than physical destruction
- devastating
emphasises the emotional or physical crushing force; can be more personal than catastrophic
- ruinous
focuses on financial or structural collapse, often with lasting damage
- beneficial
the opposite effect — bringing good results instead of harm
- trivial
minor or unimportant — the opposite scale of seriousness
文法句型
catastrophic + noun
be + catastrophic (for/to + noun)
用法筆記
Frequently used with concrete nouns such as damage, loss, failure, consequences, effects, and impact. Common in news reports about natural disasters, accidents, wars, and financial crises. The subject is typically a large-scale event or situation.
常見錯誤
2. extremely unsatisfactory or unsuccessful, used to emphasise that something has g
extremely unsatisfactory or unsuccessful, used to emphasise that something has gone completely wrong in a serious or embarrassing way.
The home team's performance in the final was catastrophic — they lost eight to zero.
informal hyperbolic use in sports context
Booking the wrong hotel room was a catastrophic error that ruined their weekend trip.
collocation: catastrophic error
Feng described the conference as catastrophic after the projector broke three times.
For Yara, the missed bus was catastrophic — she had no phone to call for help.
The company called the product launch a catastrophic failure and withdrew it from stores.
- disastrous
overlaps with sense 2; disastrous is slightly more common in formal contexts
- terrible
weaker and more general; common for everyday bad situations
- appalling
stronger emotional judgment; suggests shock or disgust
- excellent
the opposite quality — extremely good or successful
文法句型
catastrophic + noun
be + catastrophic
describe + [sth] + as catastrophic
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (EXTREME HARM): sense 2 exaggerates the seriousness of everyday problems rather than describing literal destruction. It is more common in spoken English and informal writing. Avoid using sense 2 in formal reports or serious contexts, where disastrous or very serious would be more appropriate.