calamitous
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calamitous
- /kəˈlæmɪtəs/ US, UK
Where it comes from
Borrowed from French calamiteux (“calamitous”) (see French -eux, English -ous), from Latin calamitōsus (“destructive, disastrous, ruinous, calamitous”), a contraction of calamitātōsus, from calamitāt- + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of; prone to’ forming adjectives from nouns); calamitāt- is the oblique stem of calamitās (“disaster, misfortune, calamity; damage, harm; loss”), from *calamis (“damaged”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂- (“to beat; to break”)) + -tās (suffix forming abstract nouns denoting a condition or state). By surface analysis, calamity + -ous.
adjective more calamitous · most calamitous
-
Causing or involving calamity; disastrous.
The city was struck by a calamitous cyclone.
Similar: apocalyptic, calamitous, cataclysmal, cataclysmic, catastrophic, deadly, debacular, destructive, devastating, disadventurous, disastrous, eradicative · Opposite: uncalamitous
- Of a person: involved in a calamity; hence, distressed, miserable. Nor ought a Judge, in taking cognizance of a Cauſe, to ſhevv any Anger or Reſentment againſt ſuch Perſons as he conceives to be his Enemies, nor to be prevailed on by the Tears and Prayers of calamitous Perſons, nor ought he to affect to be thought Good-natured or Moroſe, Merciful or Severe, but let
Translations
Every language
adj causing or involving calamity — see also disastrous
| Español | calamitoso, desastroso |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 慘重 /惨重 cǎnzhòng, 晦氣 /晦气 huìqì |
| Português | calamitoso, desastroso |
| Français | calamiteux, désastreux |
| Italiano | calamitoso |
| Română | calamitos, catastrofal |
| Русский | губительный gubitelʹnyj |
| العربية | جَائِح jāʔiḥ |
Talk about this word "calamitous." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/calamitous. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. calamitous. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/calamitous "calamitous." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/calamitous.Cite this
@misc{calamitous_2026,
title = {calamitous},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/calamitous},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
