Spanish Conversation · Level 85
60 words
Spanish word
catastrófico
Pronunciation
IPA/katasˈtɾofiko/
Meaning
- adjectivecatastrophic
Example
La inundación fue catastrófica para el pueblo.
The flood was catastrophic for the town.
More examples
El fallo técnico provocó un daño catastrófico en el sistema.
The technical failure caused catastrophic damage to the system.
Core concept
A widespread collapse of services and infrastructure with little chance of quick repair.
Common phrases
daño catastrófico
catastrophic damage
impacto catastrófico
catastrophic impact
Similar words
terrible: Extremely bad in a way that provokes fear or strong discomfort.
devastador: Massive physical destruction across a region that ruins places and livelihoods.
desastroso: Widespread chaos and heavy damage following a failure or accident.
horrible: Extremely unpleasant and hard to bear, causing intense disgust or distress.
Definition in Spanish
Describe un daño o perjuicio extremo y generalizado, con poca posibilidad de reparación rápida.
Word origin
Adopted into Spanish via Latin and Old French, the word goes back to Greek katastrophē, which originally denoted a sudden overturning or catastrophe.
Usage tips
- Common collocations are ser catastrófico and consecuencias catastróficas, and verbs such as causar or provocar often link an event to its catastrophic result.
Other meanings
- direadjective
Related words
- catastróficamentecatastrophicallyadverb
- catástrofecatastrophenoun