disastrous

Alternative forms

• disastress (obsolete)

Etymology

From French désastreux, from Middle French desastre (“disaster”) (modern désastre), from Italian disastro, itself from dis- (“away, without”) (from Latin) + astro (“star, planet”) (from astrum (“star, celestial body”), from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓́στρον (ástron)). By surface analysis, disaster +‎ -ous.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈzɑː.stɹəs/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /dɪˈzæs.tɹəs/

  • Audio (General American):

    (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /dɪˈzaː.stɹəs/

Adjective

disastrous (comparative more disastrous, superlative most disastrous)

1. Of the nature of a disaster; calamitous.

   Synonyms: cataclysmic, catastrophic; see also Thesaurus:disastrous

2. Foreboding disaster; ill-omened.

   Synonyms: baleful, ill-boding, inauspicious, ominous, sinister; see also Thesaurus:ominous

   Antonyms: auspicious, fortunate; see also Thesaurus:auspicious

   • 1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros‎, London: Jonathan Cape, page 27:

     A fearsome sight it was to behold how he swelled in his wrath, and his eyes blazed like disastrous stars at midnight, and being wood with anger he gnashed his teeth till the froth stood at his lips and slavered down his chin.