1
as in fatal
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a split-second, disastrous decision that I would forever regret
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devastating
causing or tending to cause destruction
a disastrous fire from which the town never fully recovered
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disastrous
After a disastrous trip to Mexico where Irina appeared repulsed by pretty much everything Zack did, the couple split and Zack crawled back to Bliss.
—
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
Against the lo-fi electronica of Yummy Bear (a version of Montell Fish’s DJ Gummy Bear), the evening turns disastrous, but something breaks open between Beck and Paul.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Glenn certainly has a lot to prove following a disastrous 3-14 first season as the Jets’ coach.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
What changed is that international sanctions made compliance ruinously expensive and politically disastrous for some countries.
—Charles Edward Gehrke, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disastrous
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
Against the lo-fi electronica of Yummy Bear (a version of Montell Fish’s DJ Gummy Bear), the evening turns disastrous, but something breaks open between Beck and Paul.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Glenn certainly has a lot to prove following a disastrous 3-14 first season as the Jets’ coach.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
What changed is that international sanctions made compliance ruinously expensive and politically disastrous for some countries.
—Charles Edward Gehrke, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disastrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disastrous
Adjective
-
The killing is Kansas City’s 27th homicide of 2026, which lines up exactly with the 27 homicides the city had seen at this time last year, according to data kept by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.—
Nathan Pilling
March 17,
Kansas City Star,
18 Mar. 2026
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Investigators argued the fatal poisoning was not the first attempt on Eric Richins’ life.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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One bad year for Arbiquina crops could be devastating for the large-scale farmers.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
16 Mar. 2026
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Members have supported communities across Texas and beyond, including relief efforts following a devastating 2023 tornado in Perryton and flooding that impacted the state last year.—
Michael Cuviello,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The interviews themselves are informative, but unobtrusive, and the while intimate footage of Frazier and Reynolds’ personal lives paints a slightly wider picture of their circumstances, their moods in the aftermath of their unfortunate digital breakthroughs is kept largely at an arm’s length.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
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Juicy is in the unfortunate position of following Jane.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
No hurricane made landfall in the US in 2025, but Matt Brannon of Insurify pointed to the toll from severe convective storms, which can produce tornadoes, hail and destructive winds.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Melissa brought heavy rainfall and flooding, damaging storm surge, and destructive winds to portions of eastern Cuba, just one month after the island was pounded by Hurricane Imelda a month earlier, the National Hurricane Center, part of the National Weather Service, concluded in its final report.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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After a catastrophic debris strike destroys their shuttle during a spacewalk, Sandra Bullock’s astronaut is left untethered, spinning silently against the vastness of space, while George Clooney’s veteran astronaut tries to guide her from a distance.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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Conversely, every era of catastrophic government failure—the late Roman Republic, the Thirty Years’ War, the collapse of Weimar Germany—witnessed a period in which elites decided that process was a mere suggestion and that their own judgment was sufficient cause to ignore it.—
Anthony Scaramucci,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disastrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disastrous. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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