Calamitous
hardNegative tonekuh-LAM-ih-tus
adjective
Definition
Involving or causing a calamity; disastrous
Memory hook
CALAM-itous: sounds like 'CALL-A-MEDIC!' - so disastrous you need emergency help.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“The calamitous decision led to the company's bankruptcy.”
“War had calamitous consequences for the civilian population.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The ______ decision led to the company's bankruptcy.”
Show answer
calamitous
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Calamitous is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "disastrous" or "catastrophic" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "fortunate".
Related GRE Words
catastrophic
Involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering
ruinous
Disastrous; causing great damage or destruction
apocalyptic
Describing or prophesying the complete destruction of the world
destructive
Causing great damage or harm; highly damaging
baneful
Causing harm or ruin; pernicious; destructive
debacle
A sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco
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