catastrophically
7
7.2
- adverb
- /kəˈtæstrəˌfɪkli/
:
catastróficamente
- The storm caused catastrophically high waves that destroyed several coastal homes.
- perhaps catastrophically
- catastrophically so
He failed catastrophically on that front.
- He failed catastrophically on that front.
- And when that happens, half of the population or whatever is catastrophically inconvenienced.
- So I think we've got this hopelessly, catastrophically wrong.
- He was killed instantly and Benjamin Hall was catastrophically wounded.
- And we looked at his reach and his reach collapsed catastrophically.
- We still crossed a number of like major coin flip type thresholds where things could have gone catastrophically wrong for humanity because of nuclear weapons.
Examples
-
After mosquitoes were introduced on the Hawaiian Islands, avian malaria catastrophically reduced the native avifauna (van Riper et al. 1986).
Academic text (2011) -
I only use exceptions for when things go catastrophically wrong, never as flow control for normal cases.
Blog text (16) -
Avoiding all that in case of a catastrophically expensive problem is a good reason to buy insurance.
Blog text (21) -
Can you vote for policies that have proven catastrophically incorrect not once, but twice?
Blog text (18) -
Lives were lost, precious art and artefacts ruined, buildings catastrophically damaged.
-
The structure could fail catastrophically without warning, leading to an explosive decompression of the cabin.
Academic text (2003) -
For example, the democratic German Weimar Republic of the interwar years eroded and then collapsed catastrophically during Hitler's ascendance to power.
Academic text (2005) -
The project was planned poorly, leading to catastrophically negative results in the team's performance.
-
When the reactor overheated, it failed catastrophically, and the surrounding area was evacuated.
Synonyms
84
4.1
In a way that causes great sadness or very bad results
80
4.3
In a way that causes a very large and sudden change
27
6.5
In a way that is very bad or not good enough
6
7.2
In a way that causes great harm, pain, or sadness
6
5.6
In a way that causes great harm or failure
4
7.0
In a very bad way that shows poor quality or failure
3
4.2
In a way that causes harm or damage
3
6.0
In a way that is very shocking or frightening
3
6.7
In a way that causes great harm or damage
1
7.3
A way that makes someone feel very sad and defeated
1
7.9
In a way that makes people feel great shock or deep sadness
1
7.8
In a way that causes a lot of harm or loss
1
9.5
In a way that causes a very large violent change or disaster
In a very great and dramatic way
In a way that causes great harm or disaster
Very suddenly in a way that ends in complete failure
Antonyms
How Severe
3
6.7
7
7.2
272
4.1
285
1.0
816
2.0
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
catastrophically = catastrophic (transparent) = catastrophe + ic + ally
The adverb is directly formed from the adjective 'catastrophic' with the productive adverbial suffix '-ally'.
Etymology
The word catastrophically comes from catastrophe, made from the Greek parts kata- 'down' and strophe 'turn', giving the image of a sudden overturning of events. So, when something happens catastrophically it changes in a sudden and very bad way, like a big disaster.