disasters

IPA/dɪˈzɑː.stər/
KK[dɪzˈæstɚz]IPA/dɪˈzæs.tɚ/

disasters — noun

  • disasterssingular
  • disastersesplural

1. a sudden event such as an earthquake, flood, fire, or serious accident that caus

1.nounB1
Definition

a sudden event such as an earthquake, flood, fire, or serious accident that causes widespread damage, harm, or loss of life.

Example

The earthquake was one of the worst natural disasters in the country's history.

natural disaster — common compound noun

Kemi's village faced a terrible disaster when the river flooded all the houses.

Common collocations
  • natural disaster
  • environmental disaster
  • humanitarian disaster
  • nuclear disaster
  • disaster relief
  • disaster area
  • disaster management
  • disaster strikes
  • avert a disaster
  • prevent a disaster
Synonyms
  • catastrophe

    suggests even greater scale and severity than disaster; more formal

  • calamity

    emphasises widespread personal suffering and loss; slightly literary

  • tragedy

    focuses on the emotional sorrow and loss caused by an event, not necessarily the physical damage

  • crisis

    refers more to the critical turning point or difficult period than to the destructive event itself

Grammar Patterns

a + disaster

natural disaster / environmental disaster / humanitarian disaster

disaster + strikes / hits

Usage Note

Often used with a specifying adjective such as natural, environmental, humanitarian, or nuclear to indicate the type of disaster. This sense can be uncountable when referring to disaster as a general concept (e.g. Disaster struck without warning.).

Common Mistakes

I had a disaster — I dropped my phone.
I had a small accident
I dropped my phone.' — Use disaster only for events causing serious harm or damage, not minor everyday mishaps.

2. something that goes extremely badly or is completely unsuccessful — for example,

2.nounB2
Definition

something that goes extremely badly or is completely unsuccessful — for example, a failed performance, a ruined meal, or a project that falls apart.

Example

The school play was a complete disaster — the actors forgot their lines and the set fell down.

a complete disaster — intensifier collocation

Trang's first attempt at baking a cake was a disaster; it came out hard and burnt.

Common collocations
  • complete disaster
  • total disaster
  • absolute disaster
  • turn into a disaster
  • end in disaster
  • recipe for disaster
Synonyms
  • failure

    a more general and neutral word; disaster adds strong emotional colour

  • fiasco

    specifically describes an event that fails in a ridiculous or embarrassing way; informal

  • mess

    focuses on the disorder or confusion of a failed situation; less intense than disaster

  • catastrophe

    also used figuratively for extreme failure, but is more dramatic than disaster

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be a disaster

turn into a disaster

a complete / total / absolute disaster

Usage Note

Common in informal speech to express strong frustration about a failed event or situation. Frequently paired with intensifiers like complete, total, or absolute. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense describes a failed social event, project, or experience, not a catastrophic natural event.

Common Mistakes

The movie was a disaster' (when you simply disliked it).
The movie was terrible' or use disaster only if something actually went wrong (e.g. the projector broke).
Overusing disaster for minor dislikes makes speech sound exaggerated.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe very bad events, but they differ in scope and emotional tone. Catastrophe suggests an event of enormous, often irreversible, scale — a nuclear meltdown or the collapse of a whole ecosystem. Calamity emphasises widespread personal suffering and is more common in literary or journalistic writing. Tragedy focuses on the deep sadness and loss caused by an event, such as the death of a child in a fire — it is less about physical destruction and more about human sorrow. Crisis refers to a critical turning point or period of difficulty (e.g. a political crisis or a refugee crisis); unlike the others, a crisis may be resolved without destruction. Example: "The earthquake was a catastrophe for the region, destroying entire towns." "The loss of both parents in the accident was an unspeakable tragedy."

catastrophe ↗calamity ↗tragedy ↗crisis ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

  • disaster for
  • disaster in
  • disaster of

Etymology

ItalianFrenchEnglish

Disaster entered English from French 'désastre', which came from Italian 'disastro' — literally meaning 'ill-starred' or 'unfavourable star'. The Italian word was formed from 'dis-' (bad) and 'astro' (star, from Latin 'astrum'). In ancient astrology, a disaster was believed to be caused by the bad position or influence of a star or planet.

First known use

1567

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1