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cataclysm
(redirected from cataclysmically)

   Also found in: Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.03 sec.
cat·a·clysm  (kt-klzm)
n.
1. A violent upheaval that causes great destruction or brings about a fundamental change.
2. A violent and sudden change in the earth's crust.
3. A devastating flood.

[French cataclysme, from Latin cataclysmos, deluge, from Greek kataklusmos, from katakluzein, to inundate : kata-, intensive pref.; see cata- + kluzein, to wash away.]

cata·clysmic (-klzmk), cata·clysmal (-klzml) adj.
cata·clysmi·cal·ly adv.

cataclysm [ˈkætəˌklɪzəm]
n
1. a violent upheaval, esp of a political, military, or social nature
2. (Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) a disastrous flood; deluge
3. (Earth Sciences / Geological Science) Geology another name for catastrophe [4]
[via French from Latin, from Greek kataklusmos deluge, from katakluzein to flood, from kluzein to wash]
cataclysmic , cataclysmal adj
cataclysmically  adv

cataclysm
any major disaster, as an earthquake, flood, etc. See also water. — cataclysmal, adj.
See also: Earthquakes
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.cataclysm - a sudden violent change in the earth's surface
geological phenomenon - a natural phenomenon involving the structure or composition of the earth
nuclear winter - a long period of darkness and extreme cold that scientists predict would follow a full-scale nuclear war; a layer of dust and smoke in the atmosphere would cover the earth and block the rays of the sun; most living organisms would perish
2.cataclysmcataclysm - 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"

cataclysm
noun disaster, collapse, catastrophe, upheaval, debacle, devastation, calamity the cataclysm that was overwhelming Europe before the Second World War
Translations
cataclysm [ˈkætəklɪzəm] Ncataclismo m

cataclysm [ˈkætəklɪzəm] ncataclysme m

cataclysm
nVerheerung f; (fig)Umwälzung f

cataclysm [ˈkætəˌklɪzm] ncataclisma m
cataclysm [ˈkætəˌklɪzm] ncataclisma m

cataclysm
n cataclysm [ˈkӕtəklizəm]
a violent disaster or upheaval; disaster. opskudding;ramp كارِثَه катаклизъм pohroma, zkáza, katastrofa omvæltning; katastrofe verheerende Katastrophe κατακλυσμός cataclismo kataklüsm, katastroof فاجعۀ عظیم؛ رویداد سهمگین luonnonmullistus, katastrofi cataclysme שִינוּי חַד וִּפתאוֹמִי प्रलय, विप्लव kataklizma felfordulás bencana náttúruhamfarir cataclisma 大変動 격변 kataklizmas kataklizma, stihiska nelaime bencana alam cataclysme voldsom omveltning, syndflod, naturkatastrofe kataklizm cataclismo cataclism катаклизм kataklizma kataklizma kataklizma naturkatastrof, kataklysm, syndaflod มหันตภัย felâket, âfet 劇變,大動亂 катаклізм; катастрофа مصیبت , ہنگاما biến động lớn
adj cataˈclysmic
rampspoedig كارِثي преломен katastrofický omvæltende; katastrofal katastrophal κατακλυσμιαίος cataclísmico murranguline فاجعه آمیز mullistava cataclysmique קָטַקלִיזמִי प्रलय संबंधी kataklizmički kataklizmaszerű celaka stórslysalegur, stórkostlega skaðvænn disastroso 大変動の 대변동의, 대격동의 katastrofiškas kataklizmas- bencana alam cataclymisch som en naturkatastrofe; syndflodaktig katastrofalny cataclísmico dezastruos катастрофический kataklizmatický katastrofalen kataklizmičan katastrofartad อย่างมหันต์ tahripkâr, mahvedici 災難的 катастрофічний انقلابی ، طوفانی có tính chất biến động lớn


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The deep-freeze of Antarctica, better than anywhere else, contains evidence of plant and animal life that for millions of years flourished and then abruptly, cataclysmically went extinct.
It is because I do not believe it possible that the thirst for freedom and decency in the countries of the Soviet Empire can remain much longer unslaked, and that any attempt either to quench it by total repression or to satisfy it by ral reforms, will be cataclysmically destructive of the eroded foundations of the entire State system.
 
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