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catastrophe

catastrophe

noun kah-tahs-TROF Less Common
Mind & Emotions Emotions

Origin: Greek katastrophē (overturning)

Also means

disaster

Usage Note

Catastrophe is used both literally for major disasters and hyperbolically in everyday speech for anything that goes badly wrong, as in c'est une catastrophe! ('it's a total disaster!'). The adjective catastrophique and the verb catastropher (to devastate or distress someone) are derived from it.

Examples

"L'inondation a été une vraie catastrophe."

Natural Translation

The flood was a real catastrophe.

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