CALAMITY Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

calamity

noun

kə-ˈla-mə-tē

Definition of calamity

as in disaster

a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction this latest breakdown of the car is inconvenient, but not a calamity

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of calamity The latest findings indicated the vest could reduce an astronaut’s radiation dose by about 60% in a solar storm as fierce as the one in 1972 and by nearly 40% in a calamity mirroring 1989. — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026 What followed was a season of extended power outages, blue-tarped roofs and yet a strange sense of community, as neighbors went out of their way to look after those that had shared in their calamity. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026 Buenaventura declared a local state of calamity to facilitate its emergency response and request additional assistance from the national government. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2026 To be fair, a number of the calamities should have been foreseen, probably. — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for calamity

Recent Examples of Synonyms for calamity

Noun

Displaced from their homes, hundreds of families resettled on the low-lying banks of the Trishuli river – only to face yet another horrific disaster on Wednesday.

— Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Purchase and install emergency generators, integrate electrical systems, and conduct testing and preparedness activities so participating rural hospitals can maintain critical services during outages and disasters.

— Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of disaster

Noun

That tension between catastrophe for humanity and recovery for nature runs all the way to the ending.

— Solitaire Townsend, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
The first step in averting this spiral toward catastrophe is for both Beijing and Washington to bear in mind that these economic tools were not designed as weapons.

— GLORIA XIONG, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of catastrophe

Browse Nearby Words

calamitous

calamity

calash

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Style

“Calamity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calamity. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of calamity

noun

Example Sentences

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