disaster
Translation
disaster, catastrophe, calamity
Examples
The earthquake was a terrible disaster.
The earthquake was a terrible disaster.
The party was a complete disaster.
The party was a complete disaster.
Grammar Patterns
((a/an/the...)) disaster ((...)) a very bad event The flood was a natural disaster.
Similar Words
Synonyms: catastrophe, calamity, tragedy; Antonyms: success, triumph, miracle
Etymology
From Old Italian 'disastro' (ill-starred), from 'dis-' (pejorative) + 'astro' (star). Literally means 'bad star'.
Memory Tips
Think of 'dis-' (bad) + 'aster' (star, like in asteroid). An event that happens under a bad star is a disaster.