calamité

calamity

noun kah-lah-mee-TAY Rare

Also means

disaster

Usage Note

calamité denotes a great disaster or misfortune, often natural or large-scale. In informal speech it can humorously describe a person who causes constant mishaps — ce gamin est une vraie calamité ('that kid is a real disaster'). The adjective calamiteux means 'calamitous'.

Examples

"L'inondation a été une véritable calamité."

Natural Translation

The flood was a real calamity.

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