disastrous

• disastress (obsolete)

From disaster +‎ -ous, after Middle French desastreux (modern French désastreux; from desastre (modern French désastre, “disaster”; from des- + astre, a calque of Italian disastro) + -eux), itself after Italian disastroso, from disastro + -oso, from dis- (“away, without”) (from Latin dis-) + astro (“star, planet”) (from Latin astrum (“star, celestial body”), from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓́στρον (ắstron)).^[1]

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈzɑː.stɹəs/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /dɪˈzæs.tɹəs/

  • Audio (General American):

    (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /dɪˈzaː.stɹəs/

disastrous (comparative more disastrous, superlative most disastrous)

1. Of the nature of a disaster; calamitous.

   Synonyms: cataclysmic, catastrophic; see also Thesaurus:disastrous

   • 2024 August 21, Daniel Falcone, “Trump Was Never a “Moderate” on Foreign Policy”, in Truthout‎^[1]:

     In addition, he was also able to reinforce the unease among progressive Democratic-leaning voters over Clinton’s disastrous pro-interventionist positions, thereby suppressing turnout and encouraging third party support in some key swing states that made the difference in his Electoral College victory.

2. Foreboding disaster; ill-omened.

   Synonyms: baleful, ill-boding, inauspicious, ominous, sinister; see also Thesaurus:ominous

   Antonyms: auspicious, fortunate; see also Thesaurus:auspicious

   • 1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 27:

     A fearsome sight it was to behold how he swelled in his wrath, and his eyes blazed like disastrous stars at midnight, and being wood with anger he gnashed his teeth till the froth stood at his lips and slavered down his chin.