Word Meanings - CALAMITY - Book Publishers vocabulary database
1. Any great misfortune or cause of misery; -- generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive evil, either to communities or individuals. Note: The word calamity was first derived from calamus when the corn could not get out of
Additional info about word: CALAMITY
1. Any great misfortune or cause of misery; -- generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive evil, either to communities or individuals. Note: The word calamity was first derived from calamus when the corn could not get out of the stalk. Bacon. Strokes of calamity that scathe and scorch the soul. W. Irving. 2. A state or time of distress or misfortune; misery. The deliberations of calamity are rarely wise. Burke. Where'er I came I brought calamity. Tennyson. Syn. -- Disaster; distress; afflicition; adversity; misfortune; unhappiness; infelicity; mishap; mischance; misery; evil; extremity; exigency; downfall. -- Calamity, Disaster, Misfortune, Mishap, Mischance. Of these words, calamity is the strongest. It supposes a somewhat continuous state, produced not usually by the direct agency of man, but by natural causes, such as fire, flood, tempest, disease, etc, Disaster denotes literally ill-starred, and is some unforeseen and distressing event which comes suddenly upon us, as if from hostile planet. Misfortune is often due to no specific cause; it is simply the bad fortune of an individual; a link in the chain of events; an evil independent of his own conduct, and not to be charged as a fault. Mischance and mishap are misfortunes of a trivial nature, occurring usually to individuals. "A calamity is either public or private, but more frequently the former; a disaster is rather particular than private; it affects things rather than persons; journey, expedition, and military movements are often attended with disasters; misfortunes are usually personal; they immediately affect the interests of the individual." Crabb.
Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of CALAMITY)
- Accident
- Chance
- fortuity
- disaster
- incident
- adventure
- casualty
- hazard
- contingency
- calamity
- misadventure
- mishap
- Adversity
- Ill-luck
- misfortune
- misery
- distress
- unsuccess
- failure
- ruin
- trouble
- affliction
- sorrow
- Blow
- Puff
- blast
- breath
- stroke
- infliction
- wound
- disappointment
- knock
- shock
- Catastrophe
- Revolution
- reverse
- blow
- visitation
- Hardship
- Trouble
- burden
- annoyance
- grievance
- endurance
Possible antonyms: (opposite words of CALAMITY)
- Restore
- expand
- swell
- Soothe
- compose
- please
- gratify
- gladden
- console
- elate
- comfort
- Order
- arrange
- place
- collocate
- range
- Compose
- calm
- allay
- appease
- soothe
- delight
- recreate
- entertain
- relieve
- refresh
Related words: (words related to CALAMITY)
- BREATHE
Etym: 1. To respire; to inhale and exhale air; hence;, to live. "I am in health, I breathe." Shak. Breathes there a man with soul so dead Sir W. Scott. 2. To take breath; to rest from action. Well! breathe awhile, and then to it again! Shak. 3. - STROKER
One who strokes; also, one who pretends to cure by stroking. Cures worked by Greatrix the stroker. Bp. Warburton. - ACCIDENTALLY
In an accidental manner; unexpectedly; by chance; unintentionally; casually; fortuitously; not essentially. - MISHAPPEN
To happen ill or unluckily. Spenser. - SORROW
The uneasiness or pain of mind which is produced by the loss of any good, real or supposed, or by diseappointment in the expectation of good; grief at having suffered or occasioned evil; regret; unhappiness; sadness. Milton. How great - REVERSED
Annulled and the contrary substituted; as, a reversed judgment or decree. Reversed positive or negative , a picture corresponding with the original in light and shade, but reversed as to right and left. Abney. (more info) 1. Turned side for side, - CHANCELLERY
Chancellorship. Gower. - HAZARDIZE
A hazardous attempt or situation; hazard. Herself had run into that hazardize. Spenser. - DELIGHTING
Giving delight; gladdening. -- De*light"ing*ly, adv. Jer. Taylor. - RANGEMENT
Arrangement. Waterland. - COMFORTLESS
Without comfort or comforts; in want or distress; cheerless. Comfortless through turanny or might. Spenser. Syn. -- Forlorn; desolate; cheerless; inconsolable; disconsolate; wretched; miserable. -- Com"fort*less*ly, adv. -- Com"fort*less*ness, n. - TROUBLER
One who troubles or disturbs; one who afflicts or molests; a disturber; as, a troubler of the peace. The rich troublers of the world's repose. Waller. - SORROWED
Accompanied with sorrow; sorrowful. Shak. - MISFORTUNED
Unfortunate. - PLACEMENT
1. The act of placing, or the state of being placed. 2. Position; place. - DELIGHTLESS
Void of delight. Thomson. - PLACENTARY
Having reference to the placenta; as, the placentary system of classification. - BLASTMENT
A sudden stroke or injury produced by some destructive cause. Shak. - PLACE-KICK
To make a place kick; to make by a place kick. -- Place"-kick`er, n. - HARDSHIP
That which is hard to hear, as toil, privation, injury, injustice, etc. Swift. - ESTRANGE
extraneare to treat as a stranger, from extraneus strange. See 1. To withdraw; to withhold; hence, reflexively, to keep at a distance; to cease to be familiar and friendly with. We must estrange our belief from everything which is not clearly and - ORANGEADE
A drink made of orange juice and water, corresponding to lemonade; orange sherbet. - DERANGER
One who deranges. - MANDELATE
A salt of mandelic acid. - CITRANGE
A citrous fruit produced by a cross between the sweet orange and the trifoliate orange . It is more acid and has a more pronounced aroma than the orange; the tree is hardier. There are several varieties. - DERANGEMENT
The act of deranging or putting out of order, or the state of being deranged; disarrangement; disorder; confusion; especially, mental disorder; insanity. Syn. -- Disorder; confusion; embarrassment; irregularity; disturbance; insanity; - OVERTROUBLED
Excessively troubled.