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catastrophe

noun
🔊/kəˈtæstrəfi/
🔊/kəˈtæstrəfi/
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  1. a sudden event that causes many people to suffer灾难；灾祸；横祸 synonym disaster
    • Early warnings of rising water levels prevented another major catastrophe.提前发出的洪水水位上涨警报防止了又一次的重大灾害。🔊🔊
    Extra Examples
    • The country is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.该国濒临人道主义灾难。
    • These policies could lead the country to environmental catastrophe.这些政策可能会使国家陷入环境的灾难。
    • moves to avert a national catastrophe避免全国性灾难的举措
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • absolute
    • big
    • complete
    • …
    verb + catastrophe
    • be
    • cause
    • lead (something) to
    • …
    catastrophe + verb
    • happen
    • occur
    • strike
    • …
    See full entry
  2. an event that causes one person or a group of people to suffer, or that makes difficulties不幸事件；困难
    • The attempt to expand the business was a catastrophe for the firm.扩展业务的尝试使这家公司陷入困境。🔊🔊
    • We've had a few catastrophes with the food for the party.我们为聚会准备食物时遇到了一些困难。🔊🔊
    Extra Examples
    • It wouldn't be a catastrophe if he didn't turn up.如果他不出现，那不会是一场灾难。
    • The verdict of this hearing is a personal and professional catastrophe for her.听证会的裁决对她来说是个人的职业灾难。
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • absolute
    • big
    • complete
    • …
    verb + catastrophe
    • be
    • cause
    • lead (something) to
    • …
    catastrophe + verb
    • happen
    • occur
    • strike
    • …
    See full entry
    3. Word Originmid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘denouement’): from Latin catastropha, from Greek katastrophē ‘overturning, sudden turn’, from kata- ‘down’ + strophē ‘turning’ (from strephein ‘to turn’).