calamitous
gb/kəlˈæmətəs/ us/kəlˈæmətəs/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
formal
C1
property
1
causing great harm or disaster
causing a very bad disaster
Usage pattern:
[a] calamitous [event/situation/result]
Common mistake:
Often confused with casual words like "bad" or "unlucky"; "calamitous" is much stronger and usually formal.
Synonyms
disastrous (Most common near-synonym in general English.)
|
catastrophic (Often suggests an even larger scale or total failure.)
|
ruinous (Emphasizes financial or long-term destruction.)
Antonyms
beneficial (Produces good effects rather than harm.)
|
fortunate (Brings good luck or good results, not disaster.)
Collocations
calamitous consequences
|calamitous effects
|calamitous outcome
|calamitous event
|calamitous situation
|calamitous flood
|calamitous earthquake
|calamitous fire
|calamitous war
|calamitous loss
Themes
news
|society
|risk
|weather
|conflict
Examples
- The dam failure had calamitous consequences for towns downstream.
- A calamitous drought left millions without reliable access to food and water.
- The report warned that cutting funding now could have calamitous effects on public health.
Learner examples
- The storm caused calamitous damage.
- The mistake had calamitous results.
adjective
formal
C1
property
2
extremely bad or damaging
very, very bad and causing problems
Usage pattern:
[a] calamitous [decision/plan/performance]
Common mistake:
Not typically used for small everyday problems (e.g., a minor delay); it implies serious negative results.
Synonyms
terrible (Less formal and less specific about disastrous consequences.)
|
dire (Emphasizes urgency and seriousness of the situation.)
|
devastating (Highlights emotional impact or heavy damage.)
Antonyms
excellent (Strongly positive in quality or results.)
|
successful (Achieves the intended result rather than failing badly.)
Collocations
calamitous decision
|calamitous error
|calamitous mistake
|calamitous policy
|calamitous performance
|calamitous defeat
|calamitous failure
|calamitous miscalculation
|calamitous strategy
|calamitous result
Themes
daily_life
|business
|education
|opinion
Examples
- It was a calamitous decision that drove customers away for years.
- Their calamitous start to the season put the coach under immediate pressure.
- One calamitous error in the final minutes cost them the game.
Learner examples
- That was a calamitous mistake.
- The plan had calamitous results.
Grammar
Dictionary form
calamitous
IPA
GB/kəlˈæmətəs/
US/kəlˈæmətəs/
Syllables & stress
calam - it - ous (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (it)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: calamitous
Word family
Core family
calamity
noun C1
Related words
calamitously
adverb C2
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.