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Definition of catastrophically

catastrophically

/ˌkæt.əˈstrɑː.fɪ.kli/
cat · a · stroph · i · cal · ly
Adjective:catastrophic
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catastrophically Lexical Profile

• adverb

1

In a disastrous, devastating, or ruinous manner that causes severe and widespread damage or failure.

Example

"The containment valve failed catastrophically during the pressure test, forcing an immediate shutdown of the facility."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
View all antonyms for catastrophically

• Rhymes for catastrophically

• Nearby Words

catarata del toro
catastrophe
catastrophic
catastrophically
catastrophize
catatonia
catatonic

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from the adjective 'catastrophic', which traces back via Latin to the Ancient Greek 'katastrophē' ('an overturning' or 'sudden end'), formed from 'kata-' ('down') and 'strephein' ('to turn').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Catastrophically. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/catastrophically
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