Synonyms for disaster
dɪˈzæs tər, -ˈzɑ stərdis·as·ter

English Synonyms and Antonyms(2.00 / 2 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. disaster

   An accident is that which happens without any one's direct intention; a chance that which happens without any known cause. If the direct cause of a railroad accident is known, we can not call it a chance. To the theist there is, in strictness, no chance, all things being by divine causation and control; but chance is spoken of where no special cause is manifest: "By chance there came down a certain priest that way," Luke x, 31. We can speak of a game of chance, but not of a game of accident. An incident is viewed as occurring in the regular course of things, but subordinate to the main purpose, or aside from the main design. Fortune is the result of inscrutable controlling forces. Fortune and chance are nearly equivalent, but chance can be used of human effort and endeavor as fortune can not be; we say "he has a chance of success," or "there is one chance in a thousand," where we could not substitute fortune; as personified, Fortune is regarded as having a fitful purpose, Chance as purposeless; we speak of fickle Fortune, blind Chance; "Fortune favors the brave." The slaughter of men is an incident of battle; unexpected defeat, the fortune of war. Since the unintended is often the undesirable, accident tends to signify some calamity or disaster, unless the contrary is expressed, as when we say a fortunate or happy accident. An adventure is that which may turn out ill, a misadventure that which does turn out ill. A slight disturbing accident is a mishap. Compare EVENT; HAZARD.

   Synonyms:
   accident, adventure, calamity, casualty, chance, contingency, fortuity, hap, happening, hazard, incident, misadventure, misfortune, mishap, possibility

   Antonyms:
   appointment, calculation, certainty, decree, fate, foreordination, intention, law, necessity, ordainment, ordinance, plan, preparation, provision, purpose

   Preposition:
   The accident of birth; an accident to the machinery.

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. catastrophe, disasternoun

   a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune

   "lack of funds has resulted in a catastrophe for our school system"; "his policies were a disaster"

   Synonyms:
   catastrophe, tragedy, calamity, cataclysm

2. calamity, catastrophe, disaster, tragedy, cataclysmnoun

   an event resulting in great loss and misfortune

   "the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity"; "the earthquake was a disaster"

   Synonyms:
   catastrophe, tragedy, calamity, cataclysm

3. disasternoun

   an act that has disastrous consequences

   Synonyms:
   catastrophe, tragedy, calamity, cataclysm

Matched Categories

1. • Adversity
   • Destruction

Dictionary of English Synonymes(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. disasternoun

   Synonyms:
   mishap, misfortune, reverse, mischance, calamity, catastrophe, blow, stroke, casualty

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. disasternoun

   Synonyms:
   calamity, mishap, catastrophe, casualty

PPDB, the paraphrase database(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate these paraphrases:

1. List of paraphrases for "disaster":

   catastrophe, disasters, calamity, accident, tragedy, cataclysm, mess, debacle, scourge, destruction, misfortune, shambles, ramp, catastrophes, hazards, devastation

How to pronounce disaster?

How to say disaster in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use disaster in a sentence?

1. Kyle Edelberg:

   A great example of that would be the Fukushima disaster-- where there was radiation. It was extremely dangerous for humans to go in. And what would have been really great is if we could have sent robots in to do something as simple as turn a valve.

2. Rachel Courtney:

   I realized that the world was moving on but in a lot of respects, I wasn't, heidi ended up pairing me up with another woman who was a mentor, who had lost her father in an aircraft disaster.

3. Prime Minister Joe Natuman:

   Hurricanes or cyclones are not a new thing, since when people started living in these islands maybe about 5,000 years ago this type of event occurs every year, i think also we are now more organized in terms of our disaster management.

4. Rancher David Bouziden:

   It's really heartwarming to see how your neighbors react in a disaster like this, it's that way all over the country. People want to help.

5. Daniel Russel:

   At a time when North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile arsenals are rapidly expanding, the abrogation of GSOMIA directly harms U.S. national security, and at a time when China's assertiveness and new capabilities represent an unprecedented challenge, the disintegration of the U.S.-led alliance system is a disaster.