complete and utter disaster
1
3.7
- noun
:
desastre total
- If Obamney wins, and that's a big if, he will have done so because Obama is a complete and utter disaster, not because Obamney is the answer.
Examples
-
The project was deemed a complete and utter disaster due to poor planning and execution.
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After the last-minute changes, the event turned into a complete and utter disaster for the organizers.
-
Authorities are calling it a "complete and utter disaster"...
-
This is a complete and utter disaster.
-
You are a complete and utter disaster.
Blog text (8) -
That ended up being Three AC, which was a complete and utter disaster, but Oh well.
-
IT'S A COMPLETE AND UTTER DISASTER.
-
Her attempt to bake a cake without any ingredients resulted in a complete and utter disaster.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A sudden event that causes great damage, loss, or failure
915
3.0
A very sad event that causes much suffering and loss
176
7.0
A sudden terrible event that causes great damage and suffering
95
5.8
A sudden total failure that causes serious damage to a system
90
4.8
Great destruction that leaves places badly damaged, for example after a war or storm
76
6.2
A complete embarrassing failure that happens suddenly and causes big problems
75
8.5
A sudden complete failure that causes public embarrassment or big loss
60
3.7
A situation that seems like a disaster but is often not as bad
49
6.7
A terrible event that causes much harm and suffering
19
6.0
A situation in which several bad things happen at the same time and make things much worse
2
8.4
A very large, messy situation that is hard to fix
A thing such as a film or product that fails badly with people
A project, event, or thing that fails very badly
A situation that is very messy and badly managed
Something that is very bad and not useful
An event that kills most people or destroys life on Earth
Antonyms
How Disastrous
1
3.7
176
7.0
∞
1.0
557
1.3
148
3.6
∞
1.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
complete + and + utter + disaster
Both 'complete' and 'utter' function as intensifiers and 'disaster' denotes a catastrophic failure, so the combined phrase transparently means an absolute or total failure. This is a straightforward compositional intensifier + noun pattern common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the parts will readily infer the overall meaning.
Etymology
The phrase complete and utter disaster paints a picture of something so badly ruined that nothing works. The words complete and utter both mean 'total', so using them together shows that the situation is an 'absolute failure' or 'catastrophe'.