Dictionary

catastrophic en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• [kæɾəˈstɹɔfɪk] (Australia)
• /ˌkætəˈstɹɒfɪk/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
• /kætəˈstɹɔfɪk/ (Australia)
• /ˌkætəˈstɹɑfɪk/ (General-American, dialectal) of Canada
• [ˌkæɾəˈstɹɑfɪk] (General-American, dialectal) of Canada
• (Southern-England) audio
• [ˌkæɾəˈstɹɒfɪk] (Canada, dialectal) of the US
• /kætəˈstɹɒfɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek καταστροφικός (katastrophikós). By surface analysis, catastrophe + -ic.

Meanings

1. Of or pertaining to a catastrophe.
2. Disastrous; ruinous.
   • The reason why Jon & Kate Plus 8 is such a hot topic is because it might all be a sham. It’s been claimed that Jon has a string of mistresses, that Kate had an affair with her bodyguard and that Baby Number Six is actually a shaved Ewok with a catastrophic heroin addiction. Or something. 2009 May 22, Stuart Heritage, “Jon & Kate Latest: People You Don’t Know Do Crap You Don’t Care About”, in Hecklerspray, archived from the original on 15 Apr 2024:
   • Some experts, such as geographer Jared Diamond in his 2005 book, “Collapse,” used Easter Island as a cautionary tale of how the exploitation of limited resources can result in catastrophic population decline, ecological devastation and the destruction of a society through infighting. 2024 September 14, Katie Hunt, “New evidence upends contentious Easter Island theory, scientists say”, in CNN, archived from the original on 21 Sep 2024:
3. From which recovery is impossible.
   • catastrophic failure

Forms

Antonyms

anastrophic

Deriveds

catastrophic forgetting · catastrophic interference · subcatastrophic · megacatastrophic · catastrophic kill · uncatastrophic · supercatastrophic · catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome · catastrophically · postcatastrophic · catastrophic failure · catastrophic backtracking · noncatastrophic · catastrophic mortality · catastrophic moult

Synonyms

catastrophal

Translations (53)

fi katastrofaalinen (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · pl katastrofalny (disastrous; ruinous) · vo katastrofik (disastrous; ruinous) · hu katasztrofális (disastrous; ruinous) · fr catastrophique (disastrous; ruinous) · pt catastrófico (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · ka კატასტროფული (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · ru катастрофи́ческий (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · ko 비참한 (disastrous; ruinous) · sh katastrofalan (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · nl catastrofisch (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · ro dezastruos (disastrous; ruinous) · ro catastrofal (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · pl katastrofalny (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · ka კატასტროფული (disastrous; ruinous) · es catastrófico (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · ca catastròfic (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · uk катастрофі́чний (disastrous; ruinous) · cs katastrofický (disastrous; ruinous) · cy trychinebus (disastrous; ruinous) · fr catastrophique (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · gl desastroso (disastrous; ruinous) · ru бе́дственный (disastrous; ruinous) · nl catastrofaal (disastrous; ruinous) · sh katastrofalni (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · ro catastrofic (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · et hukatuslik (disastrous; ruinous) · be катастрафі́чны (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · vo katastrofik (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · es desastroso (disastrous; ruinous) · cs katastrofický (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · gl catastrófico (disastrous; ruinous) · be катастрафі́чны (disastrous; ruinous) · pt catastrófico (disastrous; ruinous) · de katastrophal (disastrous; ruinous) · ca catastròfic (disastrous; ruinous) · nl rampzalig (disastrous; ruinous) · gl catastrófico (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · ru катастрофи́чный (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · fr désastreux (disastrous; ruinous) · cmn 招致大禍的 /招致大祸的 (disastrous; ruinous) · ru катастрофи́ческий (disastrous; ruinous) · ro catastrofic (disastrous; ruinous) · cmn 悲慘的 /悲惨的 (disastrous; ruinous) · eo katastrofa (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · cy catastroffig (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · de Katastrophen- (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · cmn 災難性的 /灾难性的 (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · cmn 災難的 /灾难的 (of or pertaining to a catastrophe) · es catastrófico (disastrous; ruinous) · ru ги́бельный (disastrous; ruinous) · fi katastrofaalinen (disastrous; ruinous) · uk катастрофі́чний (of or pertaining to a catastrophe)