cataclysmal
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Severely destructive; causing or relating to a cataclysm: Describes something that causes immense, sudden, and violent destruction or upheaval, often on a vast scale.
Usage
- The adjective cataclysmal is used to describe events, forces, or changes of an extreme and devastating nature. It is a formal and powerful word, often used in scientific, historical, or literary contexts to emphasize the scale of destruction.
Examples
- Adjective:
- The impact of the asteroid was a cataclysmal event that changed the planet's climate.
- Geologists study evidence of cataclysmal floods that shaped the landscape in prehistoric times.
- The fall of the empire was not a gradual decline but a cataclysmal collapse.
Advanced Usage
"cataclysmal shift": a sudden and radical transformation.
- The invention of the internet brought about a cataclysmal shift in how we communicate.
"cataclysmal proportions": of a scale comparable to a great disaster.
- The pandemic was a crisis of cataclysmal proportions for global public health.
Variants and Related Words
Cataclysm (n): a large-scale and violent event in the natural world or a sudden, violent political or social upheaval.
- The war was a cataclysm for the entire region.
Cataclysmic (adj): having the same meaning as "cataclysmal" and used more frequently.
- The two words are often used interchangeably, though cataclysmic is more common.
Synonyms
- Apocalyptic: involving or predicting widespread destruction.
- Devastating: causing severe shock, distress, or damage.
- Disastrous: causing great damage or suffering.
- Convulsive: involving violent upheaval or disturbance.
Antonyms
- Benign: gentle and not harmful.
- Constructive: serving a useful purpose; promoting improvement.
- Gradual: taking place or progressing slowly over time.
Adjective
- severely destructive
- cataclysmic nuclear war
- a cataclysmic earthquake