# catastrophe

/kəˈtæstɹəfi/ (US) · /kɐtˈæstɹəfi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/catastrophe
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a disaster

noun · CEFR B2

a sudden event that causes great trouble, damage, or suffering.

For teachers: a sudden and widespread disaster or misfortune of great significance.

- The earthquake was a total catastrophe for the small mountain village.
- The sudden collapse of the national bank proved to be a financial catastrophe that wiped out the savings of thousands of families.

### 2. a failure

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a complete failure or a very bad situation.

For teachers: a total failure or a situation that has gone completely wrong, often used with slight hyperbole.

- The dinner party was a catastrophe because the oven stopped working.
- The opening night of the play was a catastrophe, as several actors forgot their lines and the scenery fell over.

### 3. the end of a story

noun · CEFR C2 · Academic · Formal

the final part of a play or story where everything is resolved, often sadly.

For teachers: the final event or denouement of a dramatic work, particularly in classical tragedy, which completes the unfolding of the plot.

- In the final act, the hero's secret is revealed, leading to the catastrophe.
- The playwright carefully constructed the rising action to ensure that the eventual catastrophe felt both inevitable and emotionally devastating.

### 4. a sudden change in a system

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a sudden change where a system moves from one state to another.

For teachers: a sudden shift in the behaviour of a system resulting from small changes in its circumstances.

- The bridge collapsed because of a mathematical catastrophe in the structure.
- Catastrophe theory provides a framework for modelling how continuous changes in input parameters can lead to abrupt, discontinuous changes in a system's state.

Usage: Often used in the context of 'catastrophe theory'.

## Examples

- The earthquake was a major catastrophe for the city.
- The oil spill was an environmental catastrophe that affected marine life for years.
- Historians often describe the fall of the empire not as a single catastrophe but as a slow decline caused by economic instability and political corruption.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.