1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a calamitous decision to sell their products online exclusively ruined the business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devastating
causing or tending to cause destruction
a calamitous flood that destroyed the town's central business district
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of calamitous
The arrangement is a win for outgoing President Joe Biden, who has followed a hapless policy course through a calamitous year for the Middle East.
—
Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 28 Nov. 2024
Two Benfica goals followed in the half, the first after a calamitous error from Barça goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny – rushing off his line, missing the ball and colliding with Balde – allowed Pavlidis to run the ball into an open net.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 22 Jan. 2025
The fact the officer had his arms crossed at the time and did not allow the ball to drop potentially avoided a calamitous lie among the trees.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025
Tuesday’s Town Hall, organized by Rossmoor’s Firewise committee, had been planned weeks before the calamitous Los Angeles fires.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for calamitous 
Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 28 Nov. 2024
Two Benfica goals followed in the half, the first after a calamitous error from Barça goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny – rushing off his line, missing the ball and colliding with Balde – allowed Pavlidis to run the ball into an open net.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 22 Jan. 2025
The fact the officer had his arms crossed at the time and did not allow the ball to drop potentially avoided a calamitous lie among the trees.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025
Tuesday’s Town Hall, organized by Rossmoor’s Firewise committee, had been planned weeks before the calamitous Los Angeles fires.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for calamitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calamitous
Adjective
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Which one among them wins is going to depend heavily on who gets hot come the playoffs and who can best avoid disastrous results.—
Jeff Gluck,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
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Gloria’s decision not to pay for an independent evaluation of warehouse health risks — in a city reeling from its disastrous acquisition of an uninhabitable Ash Street office tower — wasn’t just surprising.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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After seeing the devastating impact of the 1918 pandemic on the nation’s soldiers and sailors, officials prioritized protecting the military from influenza.—
Alexandra M. Lord,
CNN,
9 Feb. 2025
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Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images President Donald Trump's freeze of U.S. foreign humanitarian aid and shuttering of the U.S. Agency for International Development is having devastating consequences globally, several humanitarian nongovernmental organization leaders told ABC News.—
Julia Cherner,
ABC News,
9 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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For Matias and Rafael the risk is that this will prove to be a fatal attraction though.—
Georg Szalai,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 Feb. 2025
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The Traffic Investigation Unit is looking into the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident, police said.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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While injuries are always unfortunate, Lee’s absence should benefit a Horned Frogs team that struggled with Iowa State’s frontcourt on Sunday.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Feb. 2025
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Over those few unfortunate seconds for Bills left guard David Edwards, Jones provided yet another vivid example of why he’s been a first team All-Pro for three years in a row.—
Dave Campbell,
Twin Cities,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Standard treatments, while often effective, can be destructive for people with decades of life ahead of them, potentially leading to life-altering physical changes, like permanently needing a colostomy bag or enduring early menopause and infertility.—
Jamie Ducharme,
TIME,
13 Feb. 2025
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Her research studies behavioral ethics, workplace exclusion, and destructive and conflictive work behavior and relationships.—
Harvard Business Review,
Harvard Business Review,
11 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near calamitous
Cite this Entry
“Calamitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calamitous. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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