disastrous

adjective

di·​sas·​trous di-ˈza-strəs How to pronounce disastrous (audio)
also -ˈsa-
Synonyms of disastrous
1
: attended by or causing suffering or disaster : calamitous
a disastrous flood
2
: terrible, horrendous
a disastrous score
disastrously adverb

Synonyms of disastrous

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Examples of disastrous in a Sentence

Half the city was destroyed by a disastrous fire. The bad weather could have a disastrous effect on the area's tourism industry. His failure to back up the computer files had disastrous consequences. The strike was economically disastrous.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On Tuesday night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel recounted Zacharia’s disastrous first day of work. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2026 The council member later changed course, saying the tax has had a disastrous effect on apartment construction and desperately needs an overhaul. — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 Given the hardness of the wall surfaces and unique sloping design, mounting larger frames would be difficult, possibly even disastrous. — Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026 And finally, Erceg endured a disastrous campaign but finished strong in September. — Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disastrous

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of disastrous was in 1594

Browse Nearby Words

disaster strikes
disastrous
disastrously
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Cite this Entry

“Disastrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disastrous. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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