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... catastrophic disastrous calamitous devastating ruinous apocalyptic

Opposites

beneficial harmless

Word family

Derived forms cataclysmically

Related forms cataclysm cataclysmal

Etymology

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

# 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

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