disaster

disaster — noun

1. a sudden and destructive occurrence — like a major earthquake, a terrible fire,

1.nounB1
Definition

a sudden and destructive occurrence — like a major earthquake, a terrible fire, or a large-scale accident — that brings widespread harm, suffering, or death.

Example

The earthquake that struck the coastal city was a terrible disaster for the whole region.

adjective + disaster: terrible disaster

Emergency workers rushed to provide food and shelter for the disaster victims.

disaster + noun: disaster victims

Common collocations
  • natural disaster
  • environmental disaster
  • humanitarian disaster
  • disaster relief
  • disaster area
  • disaster strikes
  • avert a disaster
Synonyms
  • catastrophe

    similar scale and suddenness, slightly more formal

  • calamity

    suggests widespread personal suffering; more literary

  • tragedy

    focuses on the emotional sorrow of the event, often involving loss of life

  • cataclysm

    a very large-scale, violent upheaval; formal and rare

Antonyms
  • miracle

    a good event that seems impossible or very unlikely

  • triumph

    a great success or victory

Grammar Patterns

adjective + disaster

disaster + noun (disaster area, disaster victims)

Usage Note

Often paired with an adjective that specifies the type of disaster — for example, natural disaster, environmental disaster, or humanitarian disaster. Can be used as an uncountable noun when referring to the general concept: 'The region is no stranger to disaster.'

Common Mistakes

The car crash was a small disaster.
The car crash was a serious accident.
In everyday English, disaster is reserved for events with large-scale consequences; use accident or crash for smaller vehicle incidents.

2. a situation, event, or attempt that goes extremely badly or is completely unsucc

2.nounB2
Definition

a situation, event, or attempt that goes extremely badly or is completely unsuccessful — for example, a party that everyone hated, or a project that lost a lot of money.

Example

The party was a complete disaster — the food burned and the music system broke down.

complete disaster — intensifier + noun

Mathieu's attempt to bake a cake from memory turned out to be a total disaster.

total disaster — intensifier + noun

Common collocations
  • total disaster
  • complete disaster
  • absolute disaster
  • recipe for disaster
  • disaster of epic proportions
Synonyms
  • failure

    more neutral; disaster is stronger and more emotional

  • fiasco

    emphasises the embarrassing, disorganised nature of the failure

  • debacle

    a complete and often humiliating failure; slightly formal

  • mess

    informal, suggests a confused or dirty situation rather than a total failure

Antonyms
  • success

    a good result or outcome

  • triumph

    a particularly impressive success

Grammar Patterns

often preceded by total, complete, absolute

recipe for disaster

Usage Note

Very common in informal conversation and social media to describe everyday situations that go wrong. Typically needs a strong intensifier (total, complete, absolute) or a descriptive adjective (financial, professional) to sound natural as a countable noun.

Common Mistakes

I failed my exam — it was a disaster.
I failed my exam
it was a disaster.' (Actually natural in informal speech. But in formal writing, disaster may sound exaggerated: use failure or setback instead.)
Idioms

an accident/a disaster waiting to happen

idiom

A situation or person that will almost certainly cause a serious problem or danger soon.

That old gas station with leaking tanks is a disaster waiting to happen.

Mia's reckless driving made her an accident waiting to happen.