Just as disaster can range from a calamitous event to one that is merely unsuccessful, catastrophe can refer to what is truly devastating as well as to what is simply deeply disheartening.

catastrophe (kəˈtæstrəfɪ) n 1. a sudden, extensive, or notable disaster or misfortune

A catastrophe is an unexpected event that causes great suffering or damage. From all points of view, war would be a catastrophe. ...the economic and environmental catastrophe that the oil leak has …

CATASTROPHE definition: 1. a sudden event that causes very great trouble or destruction: 2. a bad situation: 3. a sudden…. Learn more.

Definition of catastrophe noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

The discoveries of different layers of fossils, such as those containing Palaeotherium and Anoplotherium (pictured), by Georges Cuvier led him to believe that series of catastrophic events wiped out worlds …

catastrophe, n. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary

CATASTROPHE definition: a sudden and widespread disaster. See examples of catastrophe used in a sentence.

Catastrophe definition: A great, often sudden calamity.

A severe and often sudden event or situation that causes widespread destruction, suffering, or loss. See example sentences, synonyms, and etymology for the noun catastrophe.