catastrophic
/ˌkætəˈstrɒfɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌkætəˈstrɑːfɪk/ (ame, ipa)
catastrophic — 形容詞
1. occurring with such force and extent that lives, property, or systems are ruined
災難性的
造成巨大破壞或傷亡的
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.
2011 年的地震對沿海城市 Sendai 造成了災難性的破壞。
collocation: catastrophic damage
A catastrophic flood swept away entire villages along the Mekong Delta.
一場災難性的洪水沖走了湄公河三角洲的整個村莊。
catastrophic + noun (flood) in subject position
Climate scientists warn that rising sea levels could have catastrophic effects on island nations.
氣候科學家警告，海平面上升可能對島國造成災難性的影響。
The oil spill was catastrophic for local fishing communities, destroying their main source of income.
這次漏油事件對當地漁村是一場災難，摧毀了他們主要的收入來源。
Without emergency food aid, the drought could lead to a catastrophic famine across the region.
如果沒有緊急糧食援助，這場乾旱可能導致整個地區出現災難性的饑荒。
- 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
極糟的
非常糟糕或令人失望的
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.
主隊在決賽中的表現糟透了——他們以八比零慘敗。
informal hyperbolic use in sports context
Booking the wrong hotel room was a catastrophic error that ruined their weekend trip.
訂錯飯店房間是一個極糟的失誤，毀了他們的週末旅行。
collocation: catastrophic error
Feng described the conference as catastrophic after the projector broke three times.
投影機壞了三次之後，Feng 形容這場研討會是場災難。
For Yara, the missed bus was catastrophic — she had no phone to call for help.
錯過公車對 Yara 是一場災難——她沒手機可以求救。
The company called the product launch a catastrophic failure and withdrew it from stores.
該公司稱這次產品上市是一場極糟的失敗，並將產品從商店撤回。
- 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.