calamitous

adjective

ca·​lam·​i·​tous kə-ˈla-mə-təs How to pronounce calamitous (audio)
Synonyms of calamitous
: being, causing, or accompanied by calamity
calamitous events
a calamitous earthquake
calamitously adverb

Synonyms of calamitous

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Examples of calamitous in a Sentence

the calamitous state of the nation's economy a calamitous decision to sell their products online exclusively ruined the business
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Because France is obviously facing what a lot of people think is a pretty calamitous budget situation going forward. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026 That's the field dedicated to protecting Earth from the possibility of a calamitous asteroid impact, and DART mimicked how humans could change the orbit of a threatening space rock, taking it off its collision course. — Meghan Bartels, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2026 What struck me was the disparity in how Aboriginal people are treated by the justice system when a calamitous event like this happens. — Jd Linville, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026 That same year produced one of the most calamitous nights in tournament history. — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for calamitous

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French calamiteux "suffering misfortune, miserable," borrowed from Latin calamitōsus "liable to damage or disaster, afflicted by disaster, ill-starred, involving damage or disaster, ruinous," by haplology from *calamitātōsus, from calamitāt-, calamitās "disaster, misfortune, calamity" + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of calamitous was in 1545

Browse Nearby Words

calamitoid
calamitous
calamity
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Cite this Entry

“Calamitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calamitous. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

calamitous

adjective
ca·​lam·​i·​tous kə-ˈlam-ət-əs How to pronounce calamitous (audio)
: causing or accompanied by calamity
calamitous events
calamitously adverb
calamitousness noun
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