Disastrous

/dɪˈzæstrəs/

Meaning & Definition

adjective
Causing great damage or hardship; extremely unfortunate or harmful.
The hurricane had disastrous effects on the coastal towns.
Resulting in great loss or failure.
The company's disastrous decision to expand too quickly led to its bankruptcy.
Extremely bad or unfortunate.
He made a disastrous mistake during the presentation that cost him the deal.
Characterized by disaster; catastrophic.
The project faced disastrous consequences after the team ignored the initial warnings.

Etymology

From the Latin 'disaster' meaning 'ill-starred', from 'dis-' meaning 'apart' and 'astro' meaning 'star'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

disastrous consequences
serious and negative outcomes that result from a specific action or event
disastrous events
incidents that lead to significant harm or damage
a disastrous situation
a circumstance that is extremely unfortunate or harmful

Related Words

disaster
a sudden event, such as an accident or a natural catastrophe, that causes great damage or loss.
calamity
an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster.
catastrophe
an event causing great and often sudden damage or suffering; a disaster.

Slang Meanings

a complete mess
The party turned into a disastrous mess when the cops showed up.
going horribly wrong
That plan was a disastrous fail from the start.