catastrophically
gb/kˈætəstɹəfɪkəli/ us/kˈætəstɹəfɪkəli/
C1
Inglês
Acepções
0 acepção
adverb
C1
relation
1
with disastrous consequences
In a way that causes a very serious disaster.
Padrão de uso:
[something] fails/breaks/goes wrong catastrophically
Erro comum:
Often confused with 'dramatically' (big change) or 'tragically' (sad result); 'catastrophically' emphasizes severe damage or disaster.
Sinônimos
disastrously (Most direct synonym; emphasizes disastrous results.)
|
calamitously (More formal; suggests large-scale misfortune.)
|
ruinously (Focuses on causing ruin, often financial or practical.)
Antônimos
safely (Without causing serious harm or disaster.)
|
successfully (With a positive outcome rather than failure.)
Colocações
fail catastrophically
|go catastrophically wrong
|break down catastrophically
|collapse catastrophically
|malfunction catastrophically
|backfire catastrophically
|catastrophically damaged
|catastrophically bad outcome
|catastrophically unsafe
|catastrophically unsuccessful
Temas
news
|risk
|technology
|safety
Exemplos
- The bridge design failed catastrophically during the stress test.
- A small software bug can escalate and cause the entire system to crash catastrophically.
- The plan backfired catastrophically, leaving the team without funding or support.
Exemplos para estudantes
- The engine failed catastrophically.
- The project went catastrophically wrong.
adverb
C1
quantity
2
extremely badly or severely
Very, very badly (used for emphasis).
Padrão de uso:
catastrophically + [adjective] (e.g., wrong, misguided, naive)
Erro comum:
Not usually used for small problems; it implies an extreme or potentially serious level of badness.
Sinônimos
terribly (More common and less specific about disaster-level consequences.)
|
awfully (Informal and often weaker in force.)
|
severely (More neutral; focuses on degree rather than disaster.)
Antônimos
slightly (Indicates a small degree, not an extreme one.)
|
minorly (Very small extent; opposite of extreme severity.)
Colocações
catastrophically wrong
|catastrophically mistaken
|catastrophically bad
|catastrophically unsuccessful
|catastrophically inadequate
|catastrophically flawed
|catastrophically mismanaged
|catastrophically underprepared
|catastrophically poor performance
|catastrophically misguided
Temas
daily_life
|education
|work
Exemplos
- The report was catastrophically wrong about the costs and the timeline.
- I was catastrophically unprepared for the interview.
- Their estimate turned out to be catastrophically optimistic.
Exemplos para estudantes
- My answer was catastrophically wrong.
- He was catastrophically unprepared.
adverb
technical
C2
quantity
3
at a life-threatening severity
So severe that it may be life-threatening.
Padrão de uso:
catastrophically + [adjective] (e.g., ill, injured, low, high)
Erro comum:
In health contexts it implies extreme danger; avoid using it for ordinary illness or minor injuries.
Sinônimos
critically (Common in medical contexts; emphasizes immediate danger.)
|
dangerously (Broader and less absolute than 'catastrophically'.)
Antônimos
stably (Indicates a steady, not dangerously severe condition.)
|
mildly (Low severity rather than extreme severity.)
Colocações
catastrophically ill
|catastrophically injured
|catastrophically low blood pressure
|catastrophically high fever
|catastrophically low oxygen levels
|catastrophically reduced blood flow
|catastrophically damaged tissue
|catastrophically compromised breathing
Temas
health
|medicine
|emergency
Exemplos
- After the crash, two passengers were catastrophically injured and needed immediate surgery.
- Without treatment, the infection can progress and blood pressure can drop catastrophically.
- In rare cases, oxygen levels can fall catastrophically during the night.
Exemplos para estudantes
- He was catastrophically injured in the accident.
Gramática
Forma no dicionário
catastrophically
AFI
GB/kˈætəstɹəfɪkəli/
US/kˈætəstɹəfɪkəli/
Sílabas e tonicidade
cata - stroph - ic - ally (4 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (cata)
Formas da palavra
Noun
- Base: catastrophically
- Plural: catastrophicallies
Família de palavras
Forms
catastrophicallies
noun
Core family
catastrophe
noun B2
catastrophic
adjective C1
Expressões
catastrophically flawed
1/kˈætəstɹəfɪkəli flˈɔd/
fixed phrase
having major, fatal defects
With very serious problems that make it fail.
Exemplos
- The proposal was catastrophically flawed and couldn’t be approved.
- Their argument is catastrophically flawed because it ignores the main evidence.
- A catastrophically flawed design can put users at risk.
catastrophically injured
1/kˈætəstɹəfɪkəli ˈɪnd͡ʒɚd/
fixed phrase
technical
injured in a life-threatening way
Very badly hurt, in a life-threatening way.
Exemplos
- Emergency crews arrived to find several people catastrophically injured.
- He was catastrophically injured and airlifted to a trauma center.
- The blast left two workers catastrophically injured.
catastrophically low
1/kˈætəstɹəfɪkəli lˈoʊ/
fixed phrase
dangerously far below normal
Extremely low in a dangerous way.
Exemplos
- By the end of the month, food supplies were catastrophically low.
- His blood sugar dropped catastrophically low during the night.
- Voter turnout was catastrophically low in several districts.
catastrophically wrong
1/kˈætəstɹəfɪkəli ɹˈɔŋ/
fixed phrase
extremely and seriously incorrect
Very wrong, in a serious way.
Exemplos
- The article was catastrophically wrong about what the law actually says.
- If you’re catastrophically wrong about the price, you could lose a lot of money.
- I thought the meeting was on Friday, but I was catastrophically wrong.
fail catastrophically
1/fˈeɪl kˈætəstɹəfɪkəli/
fixed phrase
fail suddenly and completely
To break or stop working very badly and suddenly.
Exemplos
- If the battery fails catastrophically, it can overheat and start a fire.
- The launch failed catastrophically, and the mission was cancelled.
- A single weak component can cause the whole machine to fail catastrophically.
go catastrophically wrong
1/ɡˈoʊ kˈætəstɹəfɪkəli ɹˈɔŋ/
fixed phrase
turn into a disaster
To become a very serious failure.
Exemplos
- The day started well, but everything went catastrophically wrong by lunchtime.
- If this goes catastrophically wrong, we’ll need an emergency backup plan.
- One missed step can make the whole process go catastrophically wrong.