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.

adjective

calamitous , cataclysmal , cataclysmic , destructive , disastrous , fateful , ruinous