Words / B1

di-ZAHST-uh/dɪˈzɑːstə/

A disaster is a sudden event that causes serious damage or suffering: a natural disaster; a disaster area. An accident can be smaller; a tragedy stresses human loss and emotion. Disaster can also be informal for a total mess: the dinner was a disaster. Disastrous is the adjective. Spell it with one s in the middle: dis-aster.

Meaning

A sudden event that causes serious damage or suffering.

Examples

• “The flood was a disaster for the village.”
• “Earthquakes are a constant threat in this disaster-prone region.”
• “The product launch was a complete disaster.”

Good to know

a natural disaster. disaster area. Informal: a total mess. Adjective: disastrous. Smaller: accident.

Near in meaning

catastrophe

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