calamity
gb/kəlˈæmɪti/ us/kəlˈæmɪti/
C1
Inglese
~ 5900
katasztrófa, kész katasztrófa, két lábon járó katasztrófa
SOSTANTIVO
C1
FORMAL
1
katasztrófa
B1
Schema d'uso:
[a/the] calamity for [someone/something]
The earthquake was a national calamity that left thousands homeless.
A földrengés nemzeti katasztrófa volt, amely emberek ezreit tette hajléktalanná.
If the dam breaks, it will be an environmental calamity for the region.
Ha átszakad a gát, az környezeti katasztrófa lesz a térség számára.
Losing both jobs in the same week felt like a personal calamity to the young couple.
The report warns that ignoring climate change could lead to economic calamity.
Thanks to early evacuation, the potential calamity was largely avoided.
Esempi per chi studia
The flood was a great calamity for the small town.
Az árvíz nagy katasztrófa volt a kisváros számára.
The war brought calamity to millions of people.
A háború milliók életében okozott katasztrófát.
Losing all of their money in one day was a calamity for the family.
The fire could have become a real calamity, but the firefighters stopped it.
They worked hard to prevent another calamity like the last accident.
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes use "calamity" for small problems (e.g., a delayed bus). In English, "calamity" is usually reserved for very serious events. Also, remember it is countable: you say "a calamity" or "several calamities," not just *"there was calamity" in most contexts.
Significato
very serious disaster or misfortune
Collocazioni
natural calamity
|economic calamity
|a major calamity
|personal calamity
|prevent a calamity
|end in calamity
Sinonimi
disaster (More common and slightly less formal; often interchangeable in most contexts.)
|
catastrophe (Very close in meaning but can sound even more dramatic than "calamity.")
|
tragedy (Emphasizes human suffering and emotional loss more than physical or financial damage.)
Contrari
blessing (Highlights something very good or helpful, often surprisingly so, in contrast to serious harm.)
|
boon (A great benefit or help, often in a difficult situation, opposite of a harmful event.)
Temi
disasters
|society
|emotions
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Definizione
A very bad event that causes a lot of harm, pain, or problems for many people.
A sudden event or situation that causes great damage, suffering, or loss to people, places, or systems.
SOSTANTIVO
C2
INFORMAL
2
Schema d'uso:
[someone] is a [calamity] at [activity]
I'm a complete calamity in the kitchen and burn almost everything I cook.
Kész katasztrófa vagyok a konyhában: majdnem mindent odaégetek, amit főzök.
He’s a walking calamity; wherever he goes, something gets broken.
Ő egy két lábon járó katasztrófa; bárhová megy, mindig eltörik valami.
Putting him in charge of the event turned out to be a total calamity.
She's a bit of a calamity when it comes to technology, so we set up the computer for her.
With his record, hiring him as a driver could be a real calamity.
Esempi per chi studia
My brother is a calamity when he tries to fix things.
A bátyám kész katasztrófa, amikor megpróbál dolgokat megjavítani.
I am a walking calamity; I drop my phone every week.
Két lábon járó katasztrófa vagyok: minden héten leejtem a telefonomat.
She was a calamity at the party and spilled juice on three people.
They said he was a calamity as a manager because many things went wrong.
I feel like a calamity when I play sports, because I always fall.
Errore comune:
Learners may think this meaning is very common, but it is mostly used in jokes or strong criticism. It is not a neutral way to talk about someone. It also suggests repeated or serious problems, not just one small mistake.
Significato
person or thing causing constant disasters
Collocazioni
a walking calamity
|a bit of a calamity
|a calamity in the kitchen
|a social calamity
|prove to be a calamity
Sinonimi
disaster (Informally used about a person who often fails or causes trouble, similar humorous tone to this sense.)
|
mess (More general and less dramatic; suggests someone is disorganized or always in trouble, not always causing big problems.)
Contrari
a safe pair of hands (Describes someone reliable and careful, the opposite of a person who constantly causes problems.)
Temi
daily life
|people
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definizione
A person or thing that often makes big mistakes or causes bad problems again and again.
A person or thing that repeatedly causes serious trouble, accidents, or embarrassing problems, often in a slightly humorous way.
Grammatica
Forma base
calamity
IPA
GB/kəlˈæmɪti/
US/kəlˈæmɪti/
Sillabe e accento
calam - ity (2 sillabe)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ity)
Forme flesse
Noun
- Base: calamity
- Plural: calamities
Famiglia di parole
Espressioni
a walking calamity
1/ə wˈɔkɪŋ kəlˈæmɪti/
idiom
informal
very accident-prone or trouble-prone person
A person who often has accidents or causes bad problems wherever they go.
Esempi
- With the number of laptops he’s broken, he’s basically a walking calamity.
- She joked that she was a walking calamity after spilling coffee on herself twice in one morning.