Meaning of disaster | Babel Free

Definitions

1. An unexpected natural or man-made catastrophe of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life or sometimes permanent change to the natural environment.
   countable, uncountable
2. An unforeseen event causing great loss, upset or unpleasantness of whatever kind.
   countable, uncountable
3. An occurrence inflicting widespread destruction and distress:calamity, cataclysm, catastrophe, tragedy.
4. A skateboard trick involving a 180-degree ollie, landing on the center of the board with the front trucks facing towards the ramp and the back trucks over the lip. The skater then leans forwards to return in the ramp.
   countable, uncountable
5. a terrible event, especially one that causes great damage, loss etc. The earthquake was the greatest disaster the country had ever experienced. ramp, ongeluk, rampspoed, onheil كارِثَه، مُصيبَه бедствие desastre pohroma, katastrofa die Katastrophe katastrofe; ulykke καταστροφή, συμφοράdesastre katastroof مصیبت؛ فاجعه suuronnettomuus désastreאסון आपदा, विपत्ति katastrofa katasztrófa bencana stórslys; náttúruhamfarir disastro 災害 천재 (didžiulė) nelaimė, katastrofa posts; nelaime bencana rampkatas...
   especially
6. noodlottig, rampspoedig, jammerlik كارِثي، مُفْجِع، جالِب للنَّكَبات бедствен desastroso katastrofální verheerend katastrofal καταστροφικόςdesastroso katastroofiline مصیبت بار؛ فاجعه آمیز tuhoisa désastreuxהרסני अनर्थकारी, भयानक katastrofalan szerencsétlen penuh bencana hörmulegur disastroso 災害の 재해를 일으키는 pražūtingas postošs; nelaimi nesošs malang rampzaligkatastrofal, svært ulykkelig zgubny پيښه desastroso dezastruos катастрофический katastrofálny nesrečen katastrofalan ödesdiger, katastrofal...
7. jammerlik بصورةٍ كارِثِيَّه бедствено desastrosamente katastrofálně, strašlivě verheerend katastrofalt καταστροφικάdesastrosamente katastroofiliselt بطور مصیبت بار tuhoisasti désastreusement בְּמִידָה הָמהָוָוה אָסוֹן विपत्ति के साथ katastrofalno szerencsétlenül merusak hörmulega disastrosamente 悲惨にも 비참하게 pražūtingai postoši; nelaimi nesoši dengan membawa malapetaka rampzaligkatastrofalt katastrofalnie ناوړه پیښه desastrosamente dezastruos катастрофически katastrofálne nesrečno katastrofalno ...
8. desastre; desdicha, infortunio.
9. An occurrence causing widespread destruction and distress; a catastrophe.
10. Informal A total failure: The dinner party was a disaster.
    Informal
11. Obsolete An evil influence of a star or planet.
    Obsolete
12. an occurrence that causes great distress or destruction
13. a thing, project, etc, that fails or has been ruined

Equivalents

Examples

“People would suffer disasters when society's morality degenerates.”

“Floods in northern India, mostly in the small state of Uttarakhand, have wrought disaster on an enormous scale. The early, intense onset of the monsoon on June 14th swelled rivers, washing away roads, bridges, hotels and even whole villages. Rock-filled torrents smashed vehicles and homes, burying victims under rubble and sludge.”

“And no use for anyone to tell Charles that this was because the Family was in mourning for Mr Granville Darracott […]: Charles might only have been second footman at Darracott Place for a couple of months when that disaster occurred, but no one could gammon him into thinking that my lord cared a spangle for his heir.”

“A nod means good, two nods; very good. And then there's the pursing of the lips: disaster.”

CEFR level