/ kəˈtæstrəfi; NAmE / noun
1.
a sudden event that causes many people to suffer
SYN disaster :
Early warnings of rising water levels prevented another major catastrophe.
2.
an event that causes one person or a group of people personal suffering, or that makes difficulties :
The attempt to expand the business was a catastrophe for the firm.
We've had a few catastrophes with the food for the party.
► cata·stroph·ic / ˌkætəˈstrɒfɪk; NAmE -ˈstrɑː-/
SYN disastrous adjective :
catastrophic effects / losses / results
( US )
a catastrophic illness (= one that costs a very large amount to treat)
► cata·stroph·ic·al·ly / -kli; NAmE / adverb
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent. (in the sense denouement ): from Latin catastropha , from Greek katastrophē overturning, sudden turn, from kata- down + strophē turning (from strephein to turn).