a sudden and widespread disaster

the catastrophe of war.

any misfortune, mishap, or failure; fiasco

The play was so poor our whole evening was a catastrophe.

a final event or conclusion, usually an unfortunate one; a disastrous end

the great catastrophe of the Old South at Appomattox.

(in a drama) the point at which the circumstances overcome the central motive, introducing the close or conclusion; dénouement. Compare catastasis , epitasis , protasis .

Geology . a sudden, violent disturbance, esp. of a part of the surface of the earth; cataclysm.

Also called catastrophe function. Mathematics . any of the mathematical functions that describe the discontinuities that are treated in catastrophe theory.

noun

benefit , blessing , favor , good fortune , good luck , happiness , miracle , success , wonder

noun

accident , adversity , affliction , alluvion , bad luck , bad news * , blow , calamity , casualty , cataclysm , contretemps , crash , culmination , curtains * , debacle , denouement , desolation , devastation , disaster , emergency , end , failure , fatality , fiasco , finale , grief , hardship , havoc , ill , infliction , meltdown , misadventure , mischance , misery , misfortune , mishap , reverse , scourge , stroke , termination , the worst , tragedy , trial , trouble , upshot , waterloo * , wreck , battle , catastasis , conflict , destruction , doom , holocaust