noun
disaster
dih-ZAHS-tuh
noun
1
A sudden event, natural or man-made, that causes serious damage, loss of life, or destruction.
"The earthquake was the worst natural disaster in the country's history."
"Emergency crews were sent to the flood disaster zone."
2
An event or situation that turns out very badly.
"The dinner party was a complete disaster."
How to Use Disaster
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA very bad event — from a real catastrophe like an earthquake to a plan or evening that simply goes horribly wrong.
Common pairings
natural disaster
a complete disaster
disaster relief
Word Forms
disasters plural
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The earthquake was the worst natural _____ in the country's history.
Etymology
From Middle French desastre, from Italian disastro — literally "ill-starred," from dis- ("bad") + astro ("star"), from Latin astrum.