noun
cataclysm
KA-tuh-klihzm
noun
1
A sudden, violent event causing widespread destruction or upheaval.
"The war was described as a cataclysm that reshaped the region for generations."
"Scientists warned that the asteroid impact would be a global cataclysm."
How to Use Cataclysm
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA disaster on a massive scale, often one that changes everything afterward.
Common pairings
a global cataclysm
economic cataclysm
Word Forms
cataclysms plural
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The war was described as a _____ that reshaped the region for generations.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek kataklysmos, "deluge, flood," from kata- ("down") plus klyzein ("to wash over").