Disaster
from
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
disaster
n 1: a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and
misfortune; "lack of funds has resulted in a catastrophe
for our school system"; "his policies were a disaster"
[syn: {catastrophe}, {disaster}]
2: an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; "the whole
city was affected by the irremediable calamity"; "the
earthquake was a disaster" [syn: {calamity}, {catastrophe},
{disaster}, {tragedy}, {cataclysm}]
3: an act that has disastrous consequences
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Disaster \Dis*as"ter\, n. [F. d['e]sastre; pref. d['e]s- (L.
dis-) + astre star, fr. L. astrum; a word of astrological
origin. See {Aster}, {Astral}, {Star}.]
1. An unpropitious or baleful aspect of a planet or star;
malevolent influence of a heavenly body; hence, an ill
portent. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
Disasters in the sun. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. An adverse or unfortunate event, esp. a sudden and
extraordinary misfortune; a calamity; a serious mishap.
[1913 Webster]
But noble souls, through dust and heat,
Rise from disaster and defeat
The stronger. --Longfellow.
Syn: Calamity; misfortune; mishap; mischance; visitation;
misadventure; ill luck. See {Calamity}.
[1913 Webster]
from
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
58 Moby Thesaurus words for "disaster":
accident, act of God, adversity, apoplexy, blow, breakdown,
breaking up, breakup, calamity, casualty, cataclysm, catastrophe,
cave, cave-in, climax, collapse, collision, contretemps,
convulsion, crack-up, crash, debacle, diastrophism, distress,
fatal accident, fatality, fit, grief, ill hap, misadventure,
mischance, misfortune, mishap, nasty blow, overthrow, paroxysm,
pileup, quake, reverse, rocks, shipwreck, shock, smash, smashup,
spasm, staggering blow, stroke, temblor, tidal wave, total loss,
tragedy, trouble, tsunami, upheaval, violent death, washout, wrack,
wreck
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