cataclysmal

adjective

variants or cataclysmic
1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune a cataclysmal decision to plunge the nation into war

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2
as in devastating
causing or tending to cause destruction a cataclysmal landslide that virtually wiped out the village

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in turbulent
marked by sudden or violent disturbance the French Revolution was one of the great cataclysmal events in modern history

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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 cataclysmal This has been a cataclysmic failure of his making. — NBC news, 21 June 2026 That world ended in cataclysmic war, the one that claimed the life of Alfred Louis Webb and so many others. — Literary Hub, 27 May 2026 Amend and extend The situation in private credit has, so far, been a sort of slow-moving train wreck as opposed to a cataclysmic derailing. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 28 May 2026 Characteristically, Czernowin’s control of timbre, texture, and structure yields a kind of cataclysmic grandeur. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026 The relative inertia in the January transfer market was very nearly a cataclysmic mistake, as was the installation of Igor Tudor. — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 25 May 2026 The earliest Daoist community, known as the Celestial Masters, believed that their founder, Zhang Daoling, had made a special contract with the deified Laozi that would protect them through a cataclysmic end of times. — Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026 Each nova explosion triggers a dramatic surge in T CrB's apparent brightness, as radiation cast out in the cataclysmic event finally reaches us, having spent approximately 3,000 years racing through the near-perfect vacuum of space. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 23 June 2026 While the Zizian ideology is extremist in nature, a less extreme version of the same fears surrounding the cataclysmic potential of AI are a common concern among AI alignment experts, machine-learning engineers, and even frontier AI companies. — Daniel Boguslaw, ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysmal
  1. disastrous
  2. devastating
  3. turbulent
  4. fatal
  5. destructive
  6. unfortunate
  7. catastrophic
Adjective
  • The last time Rushing caught Ohtani, the pitcher took over pitch-calling after a disastrous second inning against the Twins last week.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • Since his disastrous tenure with the New York Yankees from 2016 to 2022, which included a suspension for violating MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy, Chapman has worked to turn around his career.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • In other words, a more restrictive immigration stance is not just a policy change, but presents a health care issue that could be devastating to millions of American families, said Pillai, who co-authored the KFF report.
    — Sharon Epperson, CNBC, 3 July 2026
  • Critics counter that the abrupt withdrawal of aid is already having devastating humanitarian consequences.
    — W. Gyude Moore, semafor.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of devastating
Adjective
  • Weaker global markets, which have impacted tech stock valuations, and the turbulent performance of SpaceX’s recent massive IPO were among the top concerns cited by insiders who have made the case that patience is a virtue.
    — John Kell, Fortune, 1 July 2026
  • His confirmation closes one of the most turbulent presidential searches in UF history.
    — Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
Definition of turbulent
Adjective
  • Although most people recover from Legionnaires' disease with antibiotics, certain patients -- including those who are immunocompromised or who suffer from chronic lung diseases -- can develop complications that can be fatal.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • The Grand Prairie Police Department is investigating a fatal crash in which a passenger vehicle hit a pedestrian.
    — Mary Ella Hastings July 6, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • Sinlaku’s slow movement (in contrast to Bavi) worsened impacts by keeping destructive winds and torrential rain over the islands for hours, rather than moving through quickly.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • The fire burned simultaneously with the similarly destructive Eaton Fire in Altadena and other communities in the foothills of the nearby San Gabriel Mountains.
    — Daily News, Daily News, 4 July 2026
Definition of destructive
Adjective
  • As attendees were escorted out of the Great American State Fair on Sunday because of inclement weather, guests noticed an unfortunate typo displayed on a digital billboard at the National Mall.
    — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 30 June 2026
  • They should be trained not to ask a bunch of questions about the medical condition, express doubt, comment that the timing is unfortunate or share private information with co-workers.
    — Seth Turner, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • On the narrow question of AI’s most catastrophic risks, the major powers are beginning to agree.
    — Mark Minevich, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Preexisting callus consistent with a repetitive stress injury leading to a catastrophic musculoskeletal failure.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
Definition of catastrophic

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Cite this Entry

“Cataclysmal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysmal. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cataclysmal

Nglish: Translation of cataclysmal for Spanish Speakers

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