cataclysm

C2+ Topic:General Vocabulary

US /ˈkætəˌklɪzəm/ UK /ˈkætəˌklɪzəm/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a violent, large-scale upheaval or disaster

The eruption was a cataclysm that buried the entire valley.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a violent, large-scale... catastrophe disaster upheaval calamity convulsion debacle deluge

Word family

Derived forms cataclysmic cataclysmal

Related forms cataclysmic

Simplified etymology

Cataclysm contains Greek kata “down” and derives from Greek kluzein “to wash.”

Etymology

From Greek kataklysmos ('deluge, flood'), from kataklyzein ('to wash down, inundate'), from kata- ('down') + klyzein ('to wash').

kataklysmos Ancient Greek klyzein Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# cataclysm

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈkætəˌklɪzəm/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈkætəˌklɪzəm/

## Meanings
1. a violent, large-scale upheaval or disaster

## Examples
- The eruption was a cataclysm that buried the entire valley.

## Synonyms
- catastrophe
- disaster
- upheaval
- calamity
- convulsion
- debacle
- deluge

## Derived Forms
- cataclysmic
- cataclysmal

## Related Forms
- cataclysmic

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: kataklysmos
- Root: klyzein

## Etymology
From Greek kataklysmos ('deluge, flood'), from kataklyzein ('to wash down, inundate'), from kata- ('down') + klyzein ('to wash').

## AI Etymology
Cataclysm is a noun meaning "a violent, large-scale upheaval or disaster". Historically, it is from Greek kataklysmos ('deluge, flood'), from kataklyzein ('to wash down, inundate'), from kata- ('down') + klyzein ('to wash'). The visible construction is part of the etymology: cataclysm is not just an unanalyzed simple word. The historical chain links Ancient Greek kataklysmos with Ancient Greek klyzein. Close English family members include cataclysmic, and cataclysmal.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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