Definition

Noun: 1. A disastrous event causing great and often sudden damage, distress, or loss; a catastrophe. It refers to an event of extreme severity that brings widespread destruction, suffering, or misfortune.

Usage

• Calamity is a formal and strong noun used to describe events of the utmost severity. It emphasizes the scale of the tragedy and the profound suffering it causes.
• It is often used in news reports, literature, and formal discussions about major tragedies.
• It can describe both natural events (e.g., earthquakes, floods) and man-made events (e.g., wars, economic collapses).

Examples

• The earthquake was a national calamity, leaving thousands homeless.
• Historians often study the calamities that led to the fall of empires.
• The sudden collapse of the company was an economic calamity for the small town.

Advanced Usage

• "Avert a calamity": To prevent a disaster from happening.
  • The quick action of the engineers averted a major calamity at the dam.
• "Calamity strikes": A phrase used to describe the sudden occurrence of a disaster.
  • When calamity struck, the community came together to help.

Variants and Related Words

• Calamitous (adjective): Characterized by or causing calamity; disastrous.
  • The war had calamitous consequences for the region.

Synonyms

• Disaster: An event causing great damage or loss.
• Catastrophe: A sudden and widespread disaster.
• Tragedy: An event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress.
• Cataclysm: A large-scale and violent event in the natural world.

Idioms and Phrases

• Calamity Jane: (Informal, often capitalized) A person who habitually predicts or expects disaster; a pessimist. This derives from a nickname and is not directly about the word's core meaning.
  • Don't be such a Calamity Jane; the project might just succeed.

Noun

1. an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
   • the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity
   • the earthquake was a disaster