Calamity

  • 1Calamity — may refer to: * A disaster, a terrible event * Al Qaria (English: The Calamity ), the 101st sura of the Qur an * Calamity Jane, a nineteenth century American frontierwoman ** Calamity Jane (1953 film), a 1953 film based on the person * Calamity… …

    Wikipedia

  • 2Calamity — Ca*lam i*ty .; pl. {Calamities}. [L. calamitas, akin to in columis unharmed: cf. F. calamit[ e]] 1. Any great misfortune or cause of misery; generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive evil, either to communities or… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3calamity — I noun act of God, adverse fortune, adversity, affliction, bad fortune, blight, calamitas, cataclysm, catastrophe, clades, destruction, disaster, evil fortune, evil lot, evil luck, grievous harm, hardship, ill fortune, loss, major misfortune,… …

    Law dictionary

  • 4calamity — early 15c., from M.Fr. calamite (14c.), from L. calamitatem (nom. calamitas) damage, loss, failure; disaster, misfortune, adversity, origin obscure. Early etymologists associated it with calamus straw, but it is perhaps from a lost root preserved …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 5calamity — *disaster, catastrophe, cataclysm Analogous words: *accident, casualty, mishap: *misfortune, mischance, adversity, mishap: tribulation, visitation, affliction, *trial, cross: ruin, wreck (see RUIN) Antonyms: boon Contrasted words: fortune, luck… …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 6calamity — [n] disaster; tragedy adversity, affliction, blue ruin*, cataclysm, catastrophe, collapse, cross, curtains, distress, downfall, hardship, holy mess*, misadventure, mischance, misfortune, mishap, reverse, ruin, scourge, the worst*, trial,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 7calamity — ► NOUN (pl. calamities) ▪ an event causing great and sudden damage or distress. DERIVATIVES calamitous adjective calamitously adverb. ORIGIN Latin calamitas …

    English terms dictionary

  • 8calamity — [kə lam′ətē] n. pl. calamities [MFr calamité < L calamitas: see CLASTIC] 1. deep trouble or misery 2. any extreme misfortune bringing great loss and sorrow; disaster SYN. DISASTER …

    English World dictionary

  • 9calamity — n. 1) to avert; ward off a calamity 2) to survive a calamity 3) a calamity befalls smb. 4) a crushing, dire, great; national calamity * * * [kə læmɪtɪ] dire great national calamity ward off a calamity a crushing a calamity befalls smb …

    Combinatory dictionary

  • 10calamity — [[t]kəlæ̱mɪti[/t]] calamities N VAR A calamity is an event that causes a great deal of damage, destruction, or personal distress. [FORMAL] He described drugs as the greatest calamity of the age. ...the calamity of war... It could only end in… …

    English dictionary