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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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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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 These cataclysmic explosions spray intense radiation and beams of energy through the universe at close to the speed of light. — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 Eliot’s breadth and ambition and energy in painting a picture of a society in the midst of cataclysmic change is astounding. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 20 Oct. 2026 Washburn even puts some of the exact words into Jeanie’s mouth that George used, to more harrowing effect, in her own cataclysmic climax. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026 The impact created the 120-mile-wide (190 km) Chicxulub crater in a cataclysmic event that drove mass extinctions across the planet, eliminating nearly three-quarters of the species that thrived on Earth until that time. — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Some of the most cataclysmic events in the cosmos, such as mergers of supermassive black holes, should produce a very specific gravitational wave signature, according to general relativity. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2026 Several of the researchers who spoke to NBC News said that humans could leverage AI systems to inflict cataclysmic damage well before recursive self-improvement materializes. — Jared Perlo, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2026 The diagnosis is cataclysmic, bringing Sandra’s career to an abrupt close. — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026 In 2026, how reasonable are fears that AI, either by escaping human control or through misuse by unscrupulous people, could cause a cataclysmic event or the downfall of civilization? — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysmal
  1. disastrous
  2. devastating
  3. turbulent
  4. fatal
  5. destructive
  6. unfortunate
  7. catastrophic
Adjective
  • Prolonged pump stoppages could lead to a disastrous local scenario of ruptured water supply, district heating, and sewage pipes, even if electricity remains available elsewhere in the country.
    — Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Yet, the Royals are sitting at home after a disastrous 69-93 campaign.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • As a super El Niño intensifies in the Pacific Ocean, coastal beach erosion is devastating Southern California and beyond.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 23 Oct. 2026
  • But this same resilience can make wars longer and more devastating.
    — Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastating
Adjective
  • Kansas has emerged as an unlikely battleground in a turbulent midterm election year for Republicans, who are striving to hold onto slim majorities in both chambers of Congress.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The production decision also follows a turbulent development history.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of turbulent
Adjective
  • Speed cameras have been shown to reduce speeding by 31% to 82% and fatal crashes by 53% to 71%, according to the Department of Transportation.
    — Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Kumar faces two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person in Deschutes County stemming from the fatal wreck.
    — Eric Mack , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • What differentiates this wave of sudden wealth syndrome from the dot-com era, DiFuria said, is that people are making money from a technology many consider destructive—including some of the people building it.
    — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In one memorable scene, Mari takes to a whiteboard to explain the destructive workings of capitalism, a lengthy, potentially didactic exercise that Okamoto transforms into an unexpectedly intimate exchange.
    — Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of destructive
Adjective
  • For many people, however, the presentation instead bears an uncanny and unfortunate resemblance to imagery used in Nazi-era Germany.
    — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Giannis Antetokounmpo era is off to an unfortunate start, as the Heat is 0-2 to start a season for the first time since the 2022-23 campaign.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • According to authorities, no one tried to help Browner, who suffered catastrophic injuries.
    — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Engineers in the United States are using sound to identify potential catastrophic failures of drones.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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