CALAMITY Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

calamity

noun

kə-ˈla-mə-tē

Definition of calamity

as in disaster

a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction this latest breakdown of the car is inconvenient, but not a calamity

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of calamity Iran might end up experiencing a double-digit economic contraction this year—a calamity with little precedent in its modern history. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026 There have been few comments about improvements or calamities, other than the usual notes that battery life was reduced immediately after installation, which is commonplace. — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 At first sight on TV, this was, at worst, a mid-level goalkeeping calamity; at best, an occupational hazard for a ball-playing goalkeeper in the 2020s. — Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 24 June 2026 To grade the 50 states and the District of Columbia on their relative natural disaster risks, five measures were developed that account for the frequency and damage of calamities, weighted against population and geographic size. — Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 21 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for calamity

Recent Examples of Synonyms for calamity

Noun

Rodríguez said numerous public officials died in the disaster, including security personnel, municipal employees and military officers.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
The Boyle Heights blaze, similar to the Eaton and Palisades fires, has revealed the region’s air monitoring can’t always tell people what they’ve been exposed to in a disaster.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of disaster

Noun

In the work of fiction, the ship is taken over to prevent catastrophe.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026
The young girls are referred to as Heaven’s 27 by their surviving families, who are determined to honor their legacy by ensuring such a catastrophe never happens again.

— Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026

Definition of catastrophe

Noun

The same year, another, longer-running TV version focused on the story of survivors after an alien apocalypse that had wiped out most of the Earth's population.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 4 July 2026
Closing the Manhattan Bridge, diverting traffic, and managing the safety of staging a zombie apocalypse downtown required the cooperation and manpower of multiple agencies with their own sets of pressing priorities and responsibilities.

— Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 30 June 2026

Definition of apocalypse

Browse Nearby Words

calamitous

calamity

calash

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Calamity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calamity. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of calamity

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on calamity

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gambol

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes