# catastrophic

/ˌkætəˈstɹɑfɪk/ (US) · /kˌætɐstɹˈɒfɪk/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. causing great damage

adjective · CEFR B2

causing a lot of damage or suffering, often very suddenly.

For teachers: involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering; often used in environmental, economic, or personal contexts.

- The heavy rains caused a catastrophic flood that destroyed many homes.
- The sudden collapse of the dam led to catastrophic flooding in the valley, displacing thousands of residents within a matter of hours.

Usage: Often used to modify nouns like 'failure', 'loss', or 'consequences'.

### 2. total failure

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describing a complete and terrible failure from which it is hard to recover.

For teachers: denoting a failure that is total and typically irreversible; frequently applied to mechanical or systemic breakdowns.

- The rocket suffered a catastrophic engine failure shortly after it launched.
- The IT department warned that a catastrophic server failure would result in the permanent loss of all unencrypted customer data.

Usage: Common in engineering and computing to describe a system that stops working entirely.

Teaching tip: In technical contexts, this implies the system cannot be repaired or resumed without a total reset.

## Examples

- The storm caused catastrophic damage to the coastal town.
- A catastrophic failure of the cooling system forced the factory to shut down for several months.
- The sudden collapse of the major bank had a catastrophic effect on the global economy, leading to years of financial instability.

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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.