cataclysmic

cataclysmic — index deadly, dire, disastrous, harmful Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

cataclysmic — (adj.) 1851, from CATACLYSM (Cf. cataclysm) + IC (Cf. ic) …   Etymology dictionary

cataclysmic — [[t]kæ̱təklɪ̱zmɪk[/t]] ADJ GRADED A cataclysmic event is one that changes a situation or society very greatly, especially in an unpleasant way. [FORMAL] ...the cataclysmic events that were destroying his faith in humanity... Few had expected that …   English dictionary

cataclysmic — adjective Of or pertaining to a cataclysm; causing great destruction or upheaval; catastrophic. It is believed that a cataclysmic impact caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. See Also: cataclysm, cataclysmic variable star …   Wiktionary

cataclysmic — cat|a|clys|mic [ ,kætə klızmık ] adjective 1. ) changing a situation in a sudden, violent, and unpleasant way: a cataclysmic eruption 2. ) INFORMAL used for emphasizing that something is very bad: a cataclysmic failure …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

cataclysmic — UK [ˌkætəˈklɪzmɪk] / US adjective 1) changing a situation in a sudden, violent, and unpleasant way a cataclysmic eruption 2) informal used for emphasizing that something is very bad a cataclysmic failure …   English dictionary

cataclysmic — adjective severely destructive cataclysmic nuclear war a cataclysmic earthquake • Syn: ↑cataclysmal • Similar to: ↑destructive • Derivationally related forms: ↑cataclysm, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

Cataclysmic — Cataclysmal Cat a*clys mal, Cataclysmic Cat a*clys mic, a. Of or pertaining to a cataclysm. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

cataclysmic — cataclysmically, adv. /kat euh kliz mik/, adj. 1. of, pertaining to, or resulting from a cataclysm. 2. of the nature of, or having the effect of, a cataclysm: cataclysmic changes. Also, cataclysmal. [1850 55; CATACLYSM + IC] * * * …   Universalium

cataclysmic — adj. Cataclysmic is used with these nouns: ↑event …   Collocations dictionary

cataclysmic — /kætəˈklɪzmɪk/ (say katuh klizmik) adjective 1. of, relating to, or resulting from a cataclysm. 2. of the nature of, or having the effect of, a cataclysm: cataclysmic changes. Also, cataclysmal …   Australian-English dictionary