Calamity

[ca·lam·i·ty]

Use the word calamity to describe an event that causes great harm and misery, or a general state of distress or misery: the calamity of war.

...

Any great misfortune or cause of misery; -- generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive evil, either to communities or individuals.

Noun
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; "the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity"; "the earthquake was a disaster"

n.
Any great misfortune or cause of misery; -- generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive evil, either to communities or individuals.

n.
A state or time of distress or misfortune; misery.

Calamity

Ca*lam"i*ty n.; pl. Calamities . [L. calamitas, akin to in-columis unharmed: cf. F. calamit'82] 1. Any great misfortune or cause of misery; -- generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive evil, either to communities or individuals. The word calamity was first derived from calamus when the corn could not get out of the stalk. Bacon.

Strokes of calamity that scathe and scorch the soul.

2. A state or time of distress or misfortune; misery.

The deliberations of calamity are rarely wise.

Where'er I came I brought calamity.

Syn. -- Disaster; distress; afflicition; adversity; misfortune; unhappiness; infelicity; mishap; mischance; misery; evil; extremity; exigency; downfall. -- Calamity, Disaster, Misfortune, Mishap, Mischance. Of these words, calamity is the strongest. It supposes a somewhat continuous state, produced not usually by the direct agency of man, but by natural causes, such as fire, flood, tempest, disease, etc, Disaster denotes literally ill-starred, and is some unforeseen and distressing event which comes suddenly upon us, as if from hostile planet. Misfortune is often due to no specific cause; it is simply the bad fortune of an individual; a link in the chain of events; an evil independent of his own conduct, and not to be charged as a fault. Mischance and mishap are misfortunes of a trivial nature, occurring usually to individuals. "A calamity is either public or private, but more frequently the former; a disaster is rather particular than private; it affects things rather than persons; journey, expedition, and military movements are often attended with disasters; misfortunes are usually personal; they immediately affect the interests of the individual." Crabb.

Any great misfortune or cause of misery; -- generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive evil, either to communities or individuals.

...

Usage Examples

A great source of calamity lies in regret and anticipation therefore a person is wise who thinks of the present alone, regardless of the past or future.

He who knows no hardships will know no hardihood. He who faces no calamity will need no courage. Mysterious though it is, the characteristics in human nature which we love best grow in a soil with a strong mixture of troubles.

Have the courage to be ignorant of a great number of things, in order to avoid the calamity of being ignorant of everything.

Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared.

Misspelled Form

Calamity, Calamity, alamity, Calamity, Cqalamity, Cwalamity, Csalamity, Czalamity, Cqlamity, Cwlamity, Cslamity, Czlamity, Caqlamity, Cawlamity, Caslamity, Cazlamity, Caklamity, Caolamity, Caplamity, Ca:lamity, Cakamity, Caoamity, Capamity, Ca:amity, Calkamity, Caloamity, Calpamity, Cal:amity, Calqamity, Calwamity, Calsamity, Calzamity, Calqmity, Calwmity, Calsmity, Calzmity, Calaqmity, Calawmity, Calasmity, Calazmity, Calanmity, Calajmity, Calakmity, Cala,mity, Cala mity, Calanity, Calajity, Calakity, Cala,ity, Cala ity, Calamnity, Calamjity, Calamkity, Calam,ity, Calam ity, Calamuity, Calam8ity, Calam9ity, Calamoity, Calamjity, Calamkity, Calamuty, Calam8ty, Calam9ty, Calamoty, Calamjty, Calamkty, Calamiuty, Calami8ty, Calami9ty, Calamioty, Calamijty, Calamikty, Calamirty, Calami5ty, Calami6ty, Calamiyty, Calamigty, Calamiry, Calami5y, Calami6y, Calamiyy, Calamigy, Calamitry, Calamit5y, Calamit6y, Calamityy, Calamitgy, Calamitty, Calamit6y, Calamit7y, Calamituy, Calamithy, Calamitt, Calamit6, Calamit7, Calamitu, Calamith, Calamityt, Calamity6, Calamity7, Calamityu, Calamityh.

Other Usage Examples

A Shakespearean tragedy as so far considered may be called a story of exceptional calamity leading to the death of a man in high estate. But it is clearly much more than this, and we have now to regard it from another side.

The thing is, Obama is right that it would be a calamity for the government to default on its debt by not meeting its obligations. Such a thing has never happened and can't be allowed to happen.

A little learning, indeed, may be a dangerous thing, but the want of learning is a calamity to any people.

Man is subject to innumerable pains and sorrows by the very condition of humanity, and yet, as if nature had not sown evils enough in life, we are continually adding grief to grief and aggravating the common calamity by our cruel treatment of one another.

You have a strange relationship with calamity when you're a writer: you write about it as an artist, you objectify and fetishize it. You render life into material, and that's a creepy thing to do.