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calamity

   Also found in: Legal, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
ca·lam·i·ty  (k-lm-t)
n. pl. ca·lam·i·ties
1. An event that brings terrible loss, lasting distress, or severe affliction; a disaster: A hurricane would be a calamity for this low-lying coastal region.
2. Dire distress resulting from loss or tragedy.

[Middle English calamite, from Old French, from Latin calamits.]

calamity [kəˈlæmɪtɪ]
n pl -ties
1. a disaster or misfortune, esp one causing extreme havoc, distress, or misery
2. a state or feeling of deep distress or misery
[from French calamité, from Latin calamitās; related to Latin incolumis uninjured]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.calamity - an event resulting in great loss and misfortunecalamity - an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; "the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity"; "the earthquake was a disaster"
misfortune, bad luck - unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event
act of God, force majeure, inevitable accident, unavoidable casualty, vis major - a natural and unavoidable catastrophe that interrupts the expected course of events; "he discovered that his house was not insured against acts of God"
apocalypse - a cosmic cataclysm in which God destroys the ruling powers of evil
famine - a severe shortage of food (as through crop failure) resulting in violent hunger and starvation and death
kiss of death - something that is ruinous; "if this were known it would be the kiss of death for my political career"
meltdown - a disaster comparable to a nuclear meltdown; "there is little likelihood of a meltdown comparable to the American banking collapse in March 1933"
plague - any large scale calamity (especially when thought to be sent by God)
visitation - any disaster or catastrophe; "a visitation of the plague"
tidal wave - an unusual (and often destructive) rise of water along the seashore caused by a storm or a combination of wind and high tide
tsunami - a cataclysm resulting from a destructive sea wave caused by an earthquake or volcanic eruption; "a colossal tsunami destroyed the Minoan civilization in minutes"

calamity
noun disaster, tragedy, ruin, distress, reverse of fortune, hardship, catastrophe, woe, misfortune, downfall, adversity, scourge, mishap, affliction, trial, tribulation, misadventure, cataclysm, wretchedness, mischance This course of action could only end in calamity.
help, benefit, advantage, blessing, good luck, boon, good fortune
Quotations
"Calamities are of two kinds: misfortune to ourselves, and good fortune to others" [Ambrose Bierce The Devil's Dictionary]
Translations
calamity [kəˈlæmɪtɪ] Ncalamidad f, desastre m

calamity [kəˈlæmɪti] ncalamité f, désastre m

calamity
nKatastrophe f

calamity [kəˈlæmɪtɪ] ncalamità f inv

calamity
n calamity [kəˈlӕməti]
a great misfortune It will be a calamity if he fails his exam. ramp نَكْبَةٌ، فاجِعَه бедствие neštěstí, pohroma ulykke; katastrofe das Unheil συμφορά calamidad suur õnnetus فاجعه؛ مصیبت katastrofi calamiteux אָסוֹן विपत्ति nesreća; nevolja, bijeda csapás bencana ógæfa, hörmulegt slys calamità 災難 재앙 baisi nelaimė posts; liela nelaime; liksta malapetaka ramp katastrofe, stor ulykke klęska calamidade calamitate; nenorocire катастрофа katastrofa katastrofa propast olycka, katastrof, elände เหตุการณ์ที่เลวร้าย felâket, belâ 災難,極大的不幸 лихо, біда مصیبت ، آفت ، قہر thiên tai
adj caˈlamitous
rampspoedig كَثيرُ البَلايا، مليئ بالنَّكَبات пагубен nešťastný, katastrofální katastrofal unheilvoll ολέθριος calamitoso õnnetusttoov اسف بار؛ مصیبت بار tuhoisa désastreux מֵמִיט אָסוֹן, חָמוּר दु:खद nesretan, žalostan, koban szerencsétlen mengandung bencana hörmungar- calamitoso 災難の 재앙을 가져오는 pražūtingas postošs; nelaimi nesošs kecelakaan rampzalig katastrofal, fatal nieszczęsny desastroso dezastruos катастрофический katastrofálny katastrofalen koban olycklig, olycksbringande ซึ่งเลวร้าย feci, felâket doğuran 災難的 тяжкий, злигодній آفت زدہ ، مصیبت زدہ thiệt hại


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I want you to get word to the king that I am a magician myself -- and the Supreme Grand High-yu-Muck- amuck and head of the tribe, at that; and I want him to be made to understand that I am just quietly arrang- ing a little calamity here that will make the fur fly in these realms if Sir Kay's project is carried out and any harm comes to me.
While they were assembled in anxious expectation of some terrible calamity, out came a Mouse.
Reflections on great and good actions, however they are received or returned by those in whose favour they are performed, always administer some comfort to us; but what consolation shall we receive under so biting a calamity as the ungrateful behaviour of our friend, when our wounded conscience at the same time flies in our face, and upbraids us with having spotted it in the service of one so worthless!
 
 
 
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