catastrophe
gb/kətˈæstɹəfi/ us/kətˈæstɹəfi/
B2
Anglų
~ 6800
Reikšmės
0 reikšmių
Daiktavardis
B2
event
1
very serious disaster or tragedy
A very bad event that suddenly hurts or destroys many people, places, or things.
Vartosenos šablonas:
a catastrophe for [someone/something]
Dažna klaida:
Learners sometimes say *"It was catastrophe"* without an article; in most cases you must say *"a catastrophe"*. They may also confuse the noun *"catastrophe"* with the adjective *"catastrophic"* (e.g., *"a catastrophic event"* vs. *"a catastrophe"*).
Sinonimai
disaster (Very close in meaning; slightly more common and can be used for both large and smaller bad events.)
|
calamity (More formal or literary; often suggests long-lasting suffering.)
|
tragedy (Focuses more on deep human suffering or loss, not always on physical destruction.)
Antonimai
blessing (Emphasizes that something brings great good instead of great harm.)
Kolokacijos
natural catastrophe
|economic catastrophe
|environmental catastrophe
|humanitarian catastrophe
|avert a catastrophe
|potential catastrophe
Temos
nature
|society
|safety
|emotions
|health
|core_vocabulary
Pavyzdžiai
- Scientists warn that unchecked climate change could lead to a global catastrophe.
- The earthquake was a human and economic catastrophe for the entire region.
- War in this area would be an unimaginable catastrophe for millions of people.
- Thanks to quick action by firefighters, a major catastrophe was avoided.
- The dam collapse turned the quiet valley into a flooding catastrophe overnight.
Mokymuisi skirti pavyzdžiai
- The flood was a catastrophe for the small town.
- Losing the main water supply would be a catastrophe for the city.
- The plane crash was a national catastrophe.
- Without help, the drought could become a real catastrophe.
- The fire in the hospital was a terrible catastrophe.
Daiktavardis
B2
event
2
complete failure or total mess
A thing or event that goes very badly and becomes a total failure.
Vartosenos šablonas:
a [type] catastrophe for [someone/something]
Dažna klaida:
Learners may overuse this stronger word for small problems. In everyday speech, *"problem"*, *"issue"*, or *"mess"* are more natural for minor situations. *"Catastrophe"* often sounds like a very serious or dramatic failure, even when used jokingly.
Sinonimai
fiasco (Often more informal and humorous, usually for plans or events that fail in an embarrassing way.)
|
debacle (More formal; suggests a sudden and complete failure, often in business or politics.)
|
mess (Much more informal and general; can describe any badly organized or failed situation, not always as strong.)
Antonimai
success (Direct opposite in terms of outcome; something that goes very well instead of very badly.)
Kolokacijos
a complete catastrophe
|a social catastrophe
|a PR catastrophe
|hair catastrophe
|the meeting was a catastrophe
|turned into a catastrophe
Temos
daily life
|emotions
|daily_life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Pavyzdžiai
- The product launch was a total catastrophe, with technical problems from start to finish.
- My attempt to cook dinner for ten people ended in catastrophe.
- If we publish this report without checking the data, it could be a public relations catastrophe.
- The wedding photos were a catastrophe because the photographer forgot to charge the batteries.
- Without a backup plan, the event could easily turn into a catastrophe.
Mokymuisi skirti pavyzdžiai
- The party was a catastrophe, and many guests went home early.
- My exam was a catastrophe because I did not study.
- The meeting became a catastrophe when the computer stopped working.
- Her first day at work was a bit of a catastrophe.
- The trip was a catastrophe from the very beginning.
Daiktavardis
literary
C1
event
3
final disastrous ending in tragedy
In serious plays or stories, the last terrible event that ends the story and destroys the main characters.
Vartosenos šablonas:
the catastrophe of [a play/story]
Dažna klaida:
Learners may not recognize this as a special literary term and may confuse it with the general meaning of *catastrophe* as any disaster. In literature classes, it refers specifically to the final disastrous event that ends the plot.
Sinonimai
denouement (A more general literary term for the final part of a story; not always disastrous, unlike *catastrophe* in this sense.)
Antonimai
resolution (Focuses on the solving of conflicts, which may or may not be disastrous; contrasted with the destructive focus of *catastrophe*.)
Kolokacijos
the play's catastrophe
|the tragedy's catastrophe
|approach the catastrophe
|classical catastrophe
|Aristotelian catastrophe
Temos
literature
|art
|arts_entertainment
|education
|core_vocabulary
Pavyzdžiai
- In classical tragedy, the catastrophe is often the death of the hero.
- The play builds slowly toward its inevitable catastrophe in the final act.
- Scholars disagree about whether the duel should be seen as the true catastrophe of the drama.
- The catastrophe of the tragedy leaves the stage littered with bodies and broken hopes.
- Without a convincing catastrophe, the audience feels no real sense of tragic completion.
Mokymuisi skirti pavyzdžiai
- In this old play, the catastrophe happens when the king is killed.
- The catastrophe of the story comes in the last chapter.
- Students studied the catastrophe in several Greek tragedies.
- The writer planned the catastrophe before he wrote the beginning.
- In many tragedies, the catastrophe is very violent.
Gramatika
Pagrindinė forma
catastrophe
IPA
GB/kətˈæstɹəfi/
US/kətˈæstɹəfi/
Skiemenys ir kirčiavimas
cata - strophe (2 skiemenys)
Stress on 2nd syllable (strophe)
Žodžio formos
Noun
- Base: catastrophe
- Plural: catastrophes
Žodžių šeima
Forms
catastrophes
noun
Core family
catastrophic
adjective C1
catastrophically
adverb C1
Advanced or less common
catastrophize
verb
Posakiai
a recipe for catastrophe
1/ə ɹˈɛsəpi fɚ kətˈæstɹəfi/
idiom
something sure to cause disaster
A situation or plan that is very likely to lead to a very bad result.
Pavyzdžiai
- Cutting staff and increasing working hours is a recipe for catastrophe.
- Leaving children alone with fireworks is a recipe for catastrophe.
- Poor planning and no backup is a recipe for catastrophe.
avert a catastrophe
1/əvˈɚt ə kətˈæstɹəfi/
fixed phrase
to prevent a disaster
To stop a very bad event from happening.
Pavyzdžiai
- Early evacuation helped avert a catastrophe in the coastal towns.
- If we act now, we may still avert a catastrophe for the company.
- International cooperation is needed to avert a climate catastrophe.
court catastrophe
1/kˈɔɹt kətˈæstɹəfi/
fixed phrase
literary
risk causing a disaster
To behave in a way that makes a very bad event more likely.
Pavyzdžiai
- By ignoring the warnings, the company is courting catastrophe.
- Drivers who text on the highway are courting catastrophe.
- To delay action on the virus is to court catastrophe.
end in catastrophe
1/ˈɛnd ˈɪn kətˈæstɹəfi/
fixed phrase
to result in disaster
To finish in a very bad and damaging way.
Pavyzdžiai
- Ignoring safety rules can make even a simple task end in catastrophe.
- Their risky investment ended in catastrophe when the market crashed.
- The rescue attempt nearly ended in catastrophe because of the storm.
on the brink of catastrophe
1/ˈɔn ðə bɹˈɪŋk əv kətˈæstɹəfi/
fixed phrase
very close to disaster
Very close to a very bad event happening.
Pavyzdžiai
- The country was on the brink of catastrophe after years of economic mismanagement.
- Without urgent repairs, the old bridge could put the city on the brink of catastrophe.
- They felt their marriage was on the brink of catastrophe.