cataclysm

noun

cat·​a·​clysm ˈka-tə-ˌkli-zəm How to pronounce cataclysm (audio)
Synonyms of cataclysm
1
: flood, deluge
2
: catastrophe sense 3a
3
: a momentous and violent event marked by overwhelming upheaval and demolition
broadly : an event that brings great changes
an international economic cataclysm
cataclysmal
ˌka-tə-ˈkliz-məl How to pronounce cataclysm (audio)
adjective
or cataclysmic
ˌka-tə-ˈkliz-mik How to pronounce cataclysm (audio)
cataclysmically
ˌka-tə-ˈkliz-mi-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce cataclysm (audio)
adverb

Synonyms of cataclysm

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Examples of cataclysm in a Sentence

floods, earthquakes, and other cataclysms The country barely survived the cataclysm of war. The revolution could result in worldwide cataclysm.
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.
And up until the end, said Burdett, Foxman was still feeling that obligation, shaped by a cataclysm that for many is becoming a distant memory, when recalled at all. — Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 18 May 2026 As with the Dred Scott decision that preceded the Civil War, such a blatantly undemocratic move portends some great cataclysm. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026 Every play in the Century Cycle has its roots in the cataclysm of enslavement, but Joe Turner takes place with Reconstruction still close in the rearview. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026 Only a species suffering from terminal main character syndrome would, when describing intimately human experiences like love, reach for the language of global cataclysm. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cataclysm

Word History

Etymology

French cataclysme, from Latin cataclysmos, from Greek kataklysmos, from kataklyzein to inundate, from kata- + klyzein to wash — more at clyster

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cataclysm was in 1599

Rhymes for cataclysm

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Browse Nearby Words

cataclinal
cataclysm
cataclysmist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cataclysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cataclysm. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cataclysm

noun
cat·​a·​clysm ˈkat-ə-ˌkliz-əm How to pronounce cataclysm (audio)
1
: a great flood
2
: a violent and destructive natural event (as an earthquake)
3
: a violent social or political change
cataclysmal
ˌkat-ə-ˈkliz-məl How to pronounce cataclysm (audio)
adjective
or cataclysmic
-mik How to pronounce cataclysm (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on cataclysm

Nglish: Translation of cataclysm for Spanish Speakers

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