calamitous
adjective
ca·lam·i·tous
kə-ˈla-mə-təs 
: being, causing, or accompanied by calamity
calamitous events
a calamitous earthquake
calamitously
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of calamitous in a Sentence
the calamitous state of the nation's economy
a calamitous decision to sell their products online exclusively ruined the business
Recent Examples on the Web
Burdened by a weak economy, a calamitous foray into trickle-down tax policies, and successive scandals, the Tories have seemed exhausted and adrift, split by internal feuds and fatalistic about their future.
—
Mark Landler, New York Times, 22 May 2024
But in the 26 months since that calamitous decision, the question of blame has widened in the minds of many Ukrainians.
—Simon Shuster, TIME, 14 May 2024
The calamitous flooding that year forced Penn State Harrisburg to cancel the event, according to the school's website.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
Bakish was Shari Redstone’s choice to run Viacom in 2016, after a calamitous period marked by lawsuits and a purge of top managers and board members aligned with her father.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2024
The effects of burning coal have been irrefutably calamitous.
—Dan Kaufman, The New Yorker, 9 May 2024
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona apologized to students and families for a series of calamitous delays in the aid process, as a bipartisan group of lawmakers raised new concerns about the likelihood of similar issues troubling the next admissions cycle.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
Its working-age population peaked in 2006 at around 90 million and stands at less than 80 million today, a calamitous trend.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
Music For Subscribers Behind the calamitous fall of hip-hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Dec. 13, 2023
Where does the case stand?
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Mark Landler, New York Times, 22 May 2024
But in the 26 months since that calamitous decision, the question of blame has widened in the minds of many Ukrainians.
—Simon Shuster, TIME, 14 May 2024
The calamitous flooding that year forced Penn State Harrisburg to cancel the event, according to the school's website.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
Bakish was Shari Redstone’s choice to run Viacom in 2016, after a calamitous period marked by lawsuits and a purge of top managers and board members aligned with her father.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2024
The effects of burning coal have been irrefutably calamitous.
—Dan Kaufman, The New Yorker, 9 May 2024
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona apologized to students and families for a series of calamitous delays in the aid process, as a bipartisan group of lawmakers raised new concerns about the likelihood of similar issues troubling the next admissions cycle.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
Its working-age population peaked in 2006 at around 90 million and stands at less than 80 million today, a calamitous trend.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
Music For Subscribers Behind the calamitous fall of hip-hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Dec. 13, 2023
Where does the case stand?
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'calamitous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near calamitous
Cite this Entry
“Calamitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calamitous. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
calamitous
adjective
ca·lam·i·tous
kə-ˈlam-ət-əs
: causing or accompanied by calamity
calamitous events
calamitously
adverb
calamitousness
noun
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