catastrophic
gb/kˌætəstɹˈɑfɪk/ us/kˌætəstɹˈɑfɪk/
C1
English
~ 8300
Senses
0 senses
adjective
C1
property
1
causing extreme damage or destruction
Causing very big and sudden damage, loss, or harm, often affecting many people or things.
Usage pattern:
[something] is catastrophic / a catastrophic [event/result/failure]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "catastrophic" for normal problems that are only a little bad (for example, saying "The traffic was catastrophic" when it was just slow). In English, "catastrophic" is usually used for extremely serious damage or loss, especially in news, science, or formal writing. It is also usually used with events, results, failures, injuries, or losses, not normally with people themselves.
Synonyms
devastating (Focuses on very serious damage and emotional shock, not always sudden.)
|
disastrous (Very bad and damaging, but can be less intense or large-scale than catastrophic.)
|
ruinous (Stresses complete financial or structural ruin, not necessarily sudden.)
Antonyms
minor (Describes damage or problems that are small and not very serious.)
Collocations
catastrophic failure
|catastrophic injury
|catastrophic climate change
|catastrophic losses
|catastrophic event
|catastrophic consequences
Themes
disasters
|environment
|society
|risk
|nature
|health
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The dam’s catastrophic failure flooded three towns in less than an hour.
- Scientists warn that unchecked warming could have catastrophic effects on coastal cities.
- A series of catastrophic decisions by the leadership pushed the country into civil war.
- The company suffered catastrophic losses after the data breach exposed millions of customer records.
- Without urgent action, the wildfire season could become catastrophic for local communities and wildlife.
Learner examples
- The earthquake had catastrophic results for the city.
- If the plane engine stops, it can cause a catastrophic accident.
- Cutting all safety checks could lead to a catastrophic problem.
- The oil spill was catastrophic for sea animals.
- A catastrophic fire destroyed most of the village.
adjective
C1
property
2
extremely bad or unsuccessful
Very, very bad or a total failure, often used as strong language to show how bad something is.
Usage pattern:
a catastrophic [mistake/performance/result]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "He is catastrophic" to talk about a person. In English, "catastrophic" usually describes things like results, mistakes, performance, or a situation, not a person. It is also very strong, so it sounds exaggerated if used for small problems, like a simple delay or a small error.
Synonyms
terrible (Common, general word for very bad; less strong and dramatic than catastrophic.)
|
awful (Informal and emotional; not as formal or intense as catastrophic.)
|
disastrous (Very bad or unsuccessful; similar but slightly less extreme and less dramatic.)
Antonyms
excellent (Describes something very good and successful, the opposite of extremely bad or failed.)
Collocations
catastrophic mistake
|catastrophic performance
|catastrophic exam results
|catastrophic season
|catastrophic meeting
Themes
evaluation
|daily life
|emotions
|daily_life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The team’s defense was catastrophic, and they lost 6–0.
- My presentation was catastrophic; I forgot my notes and the slides didn’t work.
- Their attempt to launch the new app without testing turned out to be a catastrophic mistake.
- The company’s first quarter was catastrophic, with sales far below expectations.
- Critics called the film a catastrophic failure at the box office.
Learner examples
- The exam was catastrophic for me, and I may fail the class.
- Our meeting with the client was catastrophic, and they chose another company.
- His first day at work was catastrophic because he was late and lost an important file.
- The singer’s live show was catastrophic; she forgot many of the words.
- The project became catastrophic when nobody followed the plan.
Grammar
Dictionary form
catastrophic
IPA
GB/kˌætəstɹˈɑfɪk/
US/kˌætəstɹˈɑfɪk/
Syllables & stress
cata - stroph - ic (3 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ic)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: catastrophic
Word family
Core family
catastrophe
noun B2
catastrophically
adverb C1
Advanced or less common
catastrophize
verb
Expressions
catastrophic climate change
1/kˌætəstɹˈɑfɪk klˈaɪmɪt t͡ʃˈeɪnd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
extremely severe, damaging climate change
Climate change that is so strong it causes very serious damage to life, cities, and nature around the world.
Examples
- Scientists say we must cut emissions quickly to avoid catastrophic climate change.
- The report warns of catastrophic climate change if temperatures rise more than 2°C.
- Activists marched to draw attention to the threat of catastrophic climate change.
catastrophic failure
1/kˌætəstɹˈɑfɪk fˈeɪljɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
sudden complete breakdown of a system
A sudden and complete breakdown of a system, machine, or process, usually causing very serious problems.
Examples
- The investigation showed that a catastrophic failure in the cooling system caused the reactor shutdown.
- Engineers redesigned the software to prevent another catastrophic failure of the control unit.
- A catastrophic failure of the brakes led to the train derailment.
catastrophic injury
1/kˌætəstɹˈɑfɪk ˈɪnd͡ʒɚi/
fixed phrase
technical
very severe, often permanent injury
An injury that is so serious it causes permanent damage, such as loss of movement or brain function.
Examples
- The driver suffered a catastrophic injury to his spine and will never walk again.
- Insurance policies rarely provide full coverage for catastrophic injuries.
- The sports league updated its rules to reduce the risk of catastrophic injury on the field.
catastrophic loss
1/kˌætəstɹˈɑfɪk lˈɔs/
fixed phrase
technical
extremely large disaster-related loss
A very large and sudden financial loss, usually caused by a disaster such as a storm, fire, or earthquake.
Examples
- The insurer set aside reserves for potential catastrophic loss from hurricanes.
- The flood caused catastrophic loss for small businesses along the river.
- Reinsurance is used to protect companies from catastrophic loss events.
catastrophic thinking
1/kˌætəstɹˈɑfɪk θˈɪŋkɪŋ/
fixed phrase
technical
habit of imagining the worst outcome
A way of thinking where a person always imagines the worst possible thing that could happen.
Examples
- In therapy, she worked on reducing her catastrophic thinking about work and relationships.
- Catastrophic thinking can make normal stress feel like a life-or-death situation.
- The book explains how to challenge catastrophic thinking with more realistic thoughts.