Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun catastrophe

3 senses of catastrophe

Sense 1
calamity, catastrophe, disaster, tragedy, cataclysm -- (an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; "the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity"; "the earthquake was a disaster")
       => misfortune, bad luck -- (unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event)

Sense 2
catastrophe, disaster -- (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")
       => adversity, hardship, hard knocks -- (a state of misfortune or affliction; "debt-ridden farmers struggling with adversity"; "a life of hardship")

Sense 3
catastrophe, cataclysm -- (a sudden violent change in the earth's surface)
       => geological phenomenon -- (a natural phenomenon involving the structure or composition of the earth)