Standard Lemma guide

cataclysmal

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

As noisy or destructive as a cataclysm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

severely destructive

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • cataclysmic nuclear war
  • a cataclysmic earthquake

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cataclysmic

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English cataclysm Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al English cataclysmal From cataclysm + -al.

Across languages

Translations

1 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Spanish: cataclismal — as noisy or destructive as a cataclysm