désastre

disaster, catastrophe

noun deh-ZAS-truh Less Common

Origin: Italian disastro (ill-starred)

Usage Note

Désastre describes a calamity of significant scale, natural or human-made. Informally it is also used hyperbolically — c'est un désastre can describe a badly cooked meal or a failed haircut. The adjective désastreux means 'disastrous' and is commonly used in both formal and casual registers.

Examples

"Le tremblement de terre a causé un désastre."

Natural Translation

The earthquake caused a disaster.

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