catastrophe

catastrophe — noun

1. an unexpected event, such as a war, storm, or flood, that causes widespread dest

1.名詞C2
釋義

an unexpected event, such as a war, storm, or flood, that causes widespread destruction and human suffering

例句

The earthquake that hit coastal Sendai in 2011 was a catastrophe for thousands of families.

catastrophe for + [affected group]

When the dam broke, floodwaters turned farmland into a zone of catastrophe for local farmers.

countable vs uncountable: a zone of catastrophe

同義詞
  • disaster

    a broader, more common word; catastrophe implies greater severity

  • calamity

    similar in scale but less frequent; often carries a sense of deep personal or national grief

  • cataclysm

    formal and dramatic; suggests a violent upheaval of nature or society

  • tragedy

    focuses on the human sorrow rather than the physical destruction

反義詞
  • miracle

    a welcome event that prevents or reverses disaster

  • blessing

    something beneficial that arrives instead of expected harm

文法句型

catastrophe + for + noun

catastrophe + of + noun

用法筆記

Countable when referring to a specific event; uncountable when used as an abstract concept (“the region faces catastrophe”).

常見錯誤

❌The storm was a catastrophe for three days.
✅The storm caused catastrophe for three days.
💡catastrophe describes the outcome, not the duration of the event itself.

2. an event or situation that goes extremely badly, causing disappointment or embar

2.名詞C1
釋義

an event or situation that goes extremely badly, causing disappointment or embarrassment for the people involved

例句

The school play was a complete catastrophe when the main actor forgot all his lines.

be + a + [adjective] + catastrophe

Dinner at the new restaurant turned into a catastrophe after the kitchen caught fire.

turn into a catastrophe

同義詞
  • fiasco

    stronger implication of public embarrassment; often used for planned events that fail spectacularly

  • debacle

    formal; suggests a complete breakdown, often in politics or business

  • mess

    more informal and general; less dramatic than catastrophe

反義詞
  • success

    a situation that turns out well

  • triumph

    a particularly impressive or satisfying success

文法句型

be + a catastrophe

end in catastrophe

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense describes personal or small-scale failures (a party, a project, a meal), not large-scale destruction. Common in informal British and American English.

常見錯誤

❌My exam was a catastrophe of global warming.
✅My exam was a catastrophe; I left half the questions blank.
💡this sense applies to personal situations, not to the large-scale disasters of sense 1.