日入一词_71：catastrophe

If the spreadsheets and workbooks are not secured and backed up regularly, the information stored in them is vulnerable to a failure or catastrophe.

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noun /kəˈtæstrəfi/

1

a terrible event in which there is a lot of destruction, suffering, or death. SYN  disaster.

a terrible disaster

a sudden event that causes many people to suffer.

a sudden event that causes very great trouble or destruction

an event that causes a lot of damage or makes a lot of people suffer

A catastrophe is an unexpected event that causes great suffering or damage.

environmental/nuclear/economic etc catastrophe

The Black Sea is facing ecological/'ikə'lɑdʒɪkl/ catastrophe as a result of pollution /pə'luʃən/.

prevent/avert a catastrophe

Sudan/suˈdæn/ requires food immediately to avert a humanitarian /hju,mænɪ'tɛrɪən/ catastrophe.

The oil spill was an environmental catastrophe.

Experts fear a humanitarian catastrophe if food isn't delivered to the refugees soon.

a global/nuclear/economic catastrophe.

an area on the brink of catastrophe.

Early warnings of rising water levels prevented another major catastrophe.

They were warned of the ecological catastrophe to come.

an economic/humanitarian/natural catastrophe.

From all points of view, war would be a catastrophe.

If the world is to avoid environmental catastrophe, advanced economies must undergo a profound transition.

2

an event which is very bad for the people involved. SYN  disaster.

an event that causes one person or a group of people personal suffering, or that makes difficulties

a bad situation

used about an event that causes serious difficulty for a particular person or group of people

catastrophe for

If the contract is cancelled, it’ll be a catastrophe for everyone concerned.

The attempt to expand the business was a catastrophe for the firm.

We've had a few catastrophes with the food for the party.

The emigration of scientists is a catastrophe for the country.

catastrophic adjective /ˌkætəˈstrɑːfɪk/

The effect of the war on the economy was catastrophic.

a catastrophic drought /draʊt/.

catastrophic effects/losses/results

a catastrophic illness (= one that costs a very large amount to treat)

An unchecked increase in the use offossil fuelscould have catastrophic results for the planet.

It would be a catastrophe if we didn’t qualify for the World Cup next year.

catastrophically adv /ˌkætəˈstrɑːfɪkli/

The dam failed catastrophically, flooding the entire valley.

to fail catastrophically