cataclysmic C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˌkætəˈklɪzmɪk/ UK /ˌkætəˈklɪzmɪk/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adj relating to a sudden violent upheaval or disaster The eruption had cataclysmic consequences for the coastal towns. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · relating to a sudden... catastrophicdisastrouscalamitousdevastatingruinousapocalyptic ↔ Opposites beneficialharmless Word family Derived forms cataclysmically Related forms cataclysmcataclysmal Etymology AI details From cataclysm (Greek kataklysmos, 'deluge, flood') + -ic. Ultimately from kata- ('down') + klyzein ('to wash'). kataklysmos Ancient Greek klyzein Ancient Greek View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # cataclysmic **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˌkætəˈklɪzmɪk/ **IPA (UK):** /ˌkætəˈklɪzmɪk/ ## Meanings 1. relating to a sudden violent upheaval or disaster ## Examples - The eruption had cataclysmic consequences for the coastal towns. ## Synonyms - catastrophic - disastrous - calamitous - devastating - ruinous - apocalyptic ## Antonyms - beneficial - harmless ## Derived Forms - cataclysmically ## Related Forms - cataclysm - cataclysmal ## Roots and Affixes - Root: kataklysmos - Root: klyzein ## Etymology From cataclysm (Greek kataklysmos, 'deluge, flood') + -ic. Ultimately from kata- ('down') + klyzein ('to wash'). ## AI Etymology Cataclysmic is from cataclysm (Greek kataklysmos, 'deluge, flood') + -ic. Ultimately from kata- ('down') + klyzein ('to wash'). Important recorded forms include kataklysmos (Ancient Greek) and klyzein (Ancient Greek). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers relating to a sudden violent upheaval or disaster. The wider family includes derived forms such as cataclysmically and related words such as cataclysm and cataclysmal. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown