disaster

/di'zɑ:stə/

Thân thiện

A tornado is a powerful and destructive natural disaster.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An event causing great damage, destruction, or suffering: A sudden, calamitous occurrence that results in significant harm, loss of life, or severe disruption.
   • A complete failure: A situation or undertaking that is a total and often humiliating failure.
   • A state of extreme ruin and misfortune: A condition of severe adversity or collapse.

Usage

• As a countable noun (referring to a specific event or situation):
  • The disaster was declared a national emergency.
  • The product launch was a complete disaster.
• As an uncountable noun (referring to the general concept or state):
  • The region is prone to natural disaster.
  • His career ended in disaster.

Examples

• Referring to a natural or man-made catastrophic event:
  • The hurricane was the worst natural disaster in the country's history.
  • The nuclear reactor meltdown was a man-made disaster.
• Referring to a complete failure:
  • The party was an absolute disaster; no one showed up.
  • His attempt to fix the plumbing was a disaster; it caused a major flood.
• Referring to a state of ruin:
  • The company's finances are in total disaster.

Advanced Usage

• "Recipe for disaster": A combination of factors or actions that is very likely to lead to a bad outcome.
  • Mixing those two chemicals is a recipe for disaster.
• "Spell disaster": To signal or cause a disastrous outcome.
  • The sudden drop in sales could spell disaster for the small business.
• "Unmitigated disaster": A complete and utter failure with no redeeming qualities.
  • The project was an unmitigated disaster from start to finish.

Variants and Related Words

• Disastrous (adj): Causing great damage or failure.
  • The policy had disastrous consequences for the economy.
• Disaster area (n): A region officially declared to be in a state of disaster, often to receive special aid.
  • The flooded town was declared a disaster area.
• Disaster recovery (n): The process of restoring systems and operations after a catastrophic event.

Synonyms

• Catastrophe: An event causing great and sudden damage or suffering (often interchangeable with ).
• Calamity: A disastrous event marked by great loss and distress.
• Fiasco: A complete and embarrassing failure (more specific to failures than general catastrophes).
• Debacle: A sudden and disastrous collapse or failure.

Antonyms

• Success: The accomplishment of an aim or purpose.
• Triumph: A great victory or achievement.
• Boon: A thing that is helpful or beneficial.

Idioms

• "Avert a disaster": To prevent a disaster from happening.
  • The pilot's quick thinking averted a disaster.
• "Waiting for disaster to strike": To be in a state of anxious anticipation for something bad to happen.
  • With the storm approaching, we were just waiting for disaster to strike.

Học thuật

Noun

1. an act that has disastrous consequences
2. an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
   • the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity
   • the earthquake was a disaster
3. a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune
   • lack of funds has resulted in a catastrophe for our school system
   • his policies were a disaster

Từ đồng nghĩa

• calamity
• catastrophe
• tragedy
• cataclysm