Dictionary

catastrophe en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (General-American) audio
• /kəˈtæstɹəfi/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek καταστροφή (katastrophḗ), from καταστρέφω (katastréphō, “to overturn”), from κατά (katá, “down, against”) + στρέφω (stréphō, “to turn”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Any large and disastrous event of great significance.
   • Am I not a man? And is a man not stupid? I'm a man, so I married. Wife, children, house, everything. The full catastrophe. 1964, Nikos Kazantzakis, Michael Cacoyannis, Zorba the Greek, spoken by Alexis Zorba (Anthony Quinn):
   • Between these high lights accumulated disaster, social catastrophe. 1913, H. G. Wells, “The New Source of Energy”, in The World Set Free, New York: E. P. Dutton & Company, pages 54–55:
   • The Chernobyl disaster was a catastrophe.
   • Last night, after the brief sitting of the House of Lords, and before catastrophe befell the Government in the Commons, I had a long chat with the Premier, in which he discussed the Home Rule question and his relations with it in perfectly frank manner. 1896, Henry W[illiam] Lucy, “[Session 1894.] A Bad Beginning.”, in A Diary of the Home Rule Parliament, 1892-1895, London; Paris; Melbourne, Vic.: Cassell and Company, Limited, page 320:
   • For years, Mao Da, an environmental researcher, has studied the plastic industry in Wen’an County, near Beijing. Workers there used to sort through food and medical waste by hand, he said. Nonrecyclable material was buried in pits near farmland. “It was an environmental and public health catastrophe,” Mr. Mao said. 2019 May 28, Raymond Zhong, Carolyn Zhang, “Food Delivery Apps Are Drowning China in Plastic”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 May 2019, Technology:
2. (countable, uncountable) A disaster beyond expectations.
3. (countable, uncountable) The dramatic event that initiates the resolution of the plot; the dénouement.
   • Pat : he comes like the Cataſtrophe of the old Comedie : my Cue is villanous Melancholly, with a ſighe like Tom o’ Bedlam. c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 286, column 2:
4. (countable, uncountable) A type of bifurcation, where a system shifts between two stable states.

Forms

Deriveds

oxygenation catastrophe · catastrophe theory · ultraviolet catastrophe · climatastrophe · catastrophe bond · supercatastrophe · ecocatastrophe · eucatastrophe · cowtastrophe · catastrophal · oxygen catastrophe · cozy catastrophe · catastrophize · disastrophe · Carter catastrophe · vacuum catastrophe · cosy catastrophe · catastrophin · catastroscope · castrophony · error catastrophe · cat bond · climate catastrophe

Relateds

catastrophic · catastrophism · metastrophe · anastrophe · apostrophe · catastrophist · cataclysm

Translations (206)

ur آفَت (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · gl catástrofe (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ga eirleach (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · yue 災殃 /灾殃 (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ja 災難 (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · es catástrofe (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ro catastrofă (disaster beyond expectations) · vo katastrof (disaster beyond expectations) · kmr karesat (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · uz halokat (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · vo katastrof (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ky апаат (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ug بەختسىزلىك (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · fr catastrophe (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · nl catastrofe (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · az fəlakət (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · de Katastrophe (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ka კატასტროფა (disaster beyond expectations) · mk катастро́фа (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · bn দুর্যোগ (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · my ဘေးဆိုး (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · nb katastrofe (disaster beyond expectations) · ga anachain (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · vi tai ương (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · cmn 災害 /灾害 (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · fi katastrofi (Ancient Greek tragedies: the solution of the plot) · uk катастро́фа (disaster beyond expectations) · ar مُصِيبَة (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · nn katastrofe (disaster beyond expectations) · it catastrofe (mathematics: type of bifurcation) · tt афәт (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ar فَاجِعَة (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · hi आफ़त (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ms bencana (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · tg садама (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · he קָטַסְטְרוֹפָה (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · yue 災禍 /灾祸 (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · yue 災害 /灾害 (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · tr felaket (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · el καταστροφή (disaster beyond expectations) · cs katastrofa (disaster beyond expectations) · nl ramp (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ps مصيبت (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · tg фоҷиа (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · uk бі́дство (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · be бе́дства (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · tg ҳалокат (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · uz afat (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · kk апат (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ug ئاپەت (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · tg мусибат (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · uz falokat (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · az faciə (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ar فَاجِعَة (disaster beyond expectations) · wa rascråwe (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · cmn 災難 /灾难 (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · km ហាយនៈ (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · grc καταστροφή (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · pt catástrofe (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · hi तबाही (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · kk алапат (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ka კატასტროფა (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · kmr mûsîbet (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · hy աղետ (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · he אָסוֹן (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · bn আফত (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · da katastrofe (disaster beyond expectations) · tr facia (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · it catastrofe (Ancient Greek tragedies: the solution of the plot) · sl katastrofa (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · sv katastrof (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ca catàstrofe (Ancient Greek tragedies: the solution of the plot) · ga tubaiste (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · fa-ira فاجِعِه (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ky катастрофа (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · uz ofat (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · th พิบัติ (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ur مُصِیبَت (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · tg фалокат (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · uz musibat (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · de Unheil (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · th มหันตภัย (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · el όλεθρος (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · fi katastrofi (mathematics: type of bifurcation) · ht katastwòf (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ja 大災害 (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · bg бе́дствие (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ja 災殃 (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · cs katastrofa (mathematics: type of bifurcation) · ota فاجعه (disaster beyond expectations) · el καταστροφή (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · la calamitās (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · cmn 災難 /灾难 (disaster beyond expectations) · sk katastrofa (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · et katastroof (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · sh катастро́фа (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · tk heläkçilik (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ru катастро́фа (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ga catastróf (Ancient Greek tragedies: the solution of the plot) · si ව්යසන (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · vi tai họa lớn (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · uz baxtsizlik (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · io katastrofo (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · mn аюул (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · id katastrofe (disaster beyond expectations) · uz katastrofa (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · uz fojia (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · uk ли́хо (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · bg катастро́фа (disaster beyond expectations) · et õnnetus (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · cs katastrofa (Ancient Greek tragedies: the solution of the plot) · mn аваар (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · is katastrófa (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · id katastrofe (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ga matalang (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · fa-ira مُصیبَت (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · tk betbagtçylyk (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ar آفَة (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · lt nelaimė (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · mn гамшиг (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · fi katastrofi (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · sq katastrofë (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · be катастро́фа (disaster beyond expectations) · ota غول (disaster beyond expectations) · ar كَارِثَة (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · hu katasztrófa (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · lv katastrofa (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · hi आपदा (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ota فاجعه (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ru бе́дствие (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · yue 災難 /灾难 (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ko 재앙 (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · de Katastrophe (Ancient Greek tragedies: the solution of the plot) · tr afet (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · id katastrofe (Ancient Greek tragedies: the solution of the plot) · cu бѣдьство (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · nb katastrofe (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ko 재난 (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ug پالاكەت (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ru катастро́фа (disaster beyond expectations) · de Unglück (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · it catastrofe (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ur تَباہی (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · az müsibət (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ps فاجعه (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ar نَكْبَة (disaster beyond expectations) · sh katastrófa (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · es catástrofe (Ancient Greek tragedies: the solution of the plot) · lt katastrofa (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · kk қирау (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · hi मुसीबत (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · tg офат (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · be катастро́фа (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · fi katastrofi (disaster beyond expectations) · mn сүйрэл (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ro dezastru (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · kmr felaket (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · cmn 災殃 /灾殃 (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · lv nelaime (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ko 재해 (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ja 災害 (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · de Katastrophe (disaster beyond expectations) · lo ພິບັດ (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · fa-ira فَجایِع (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · hu szerencsétlenség (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · vi thảm hoạ (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · tg фоҷеа (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · km ភយន្តរាយ (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · bg катастро́фа (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · pl klęska (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · fa-ira آفَت (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · id bencana (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · tk betbagtlyk (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · la catastropha (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · nl onheil (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · pt catástrofe (disaster beyond expectations) · fa-ira فَجایِع (disaster beyond expectations) · km ភយូបទ្រព (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · uk катастро́фа (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ota غول (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · fa-ira فاجِعِه (disaster beyond expectations) · ca catàstrofe (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · cs katastrofa (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · da katastrofe (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · sv katastrof (disaster beyond expectations) · it catastrofe (disaster beyond expectations) · ga turraing (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · vi thảm họa (disaster beyond expectations) · eo katastrofo (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · oc catastròfa (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · bg катастро́фа (Ancient Greek tragedies: the solution of the plot) · sq fatkeqësi (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ps آفت (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · mn осол (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · pl katastrofa (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · nn katastrofe (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · el έκβαση (Ancient Greek tragedies: the solution of the plot) · tr felaket (disaster beyond expectations) · ro catastrofă (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ro deznodământ (Ancient Greek tragedies: the solution of the plot) · ky кыйроо (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · th ภัยพิบัติ (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · km មហន្តរាយ (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · ug ھالاكەت (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · lo ໄພພິບັດ (any large and disastrous event of great significance) · cmn 災禍 /灾祸 (any large and disastrous event of great significance)