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calamitous

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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WOTD – 28 March 2025

Etymology

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Borrowed from French calamiteux (“calamitous”) (see French -eux, English -ous), from Latin calamitōsus (“destructive, disastrous, ruinous, calamitous”), a contraction of calamitātōsus, from calamitāt- + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of; prone to’ forming adjectives from nouns);[1][2] calamitāt- is the oblique stem of calamitās (“disaster, misfortune, calamity; damage, harm; loss”), from *calamis (“damaged”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂- (“to beat; to break”)) + -tās (suffix forming abstract nouns denoting a condition or state). By surface analysis, calamity +‎ -ous.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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calamitous (comparative more calamitous, superlative most calamitous)

  1. Causing or involving calamity; disastrous.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:disastrous
    Antonym: uncalamitous
    The city was struck by a calamitous cyclone.
    • 1646, Thomas Browne, “Of the Nearer and More Immediate Causes of Popular Errours, both in the Wiser, and Common Sort, Misapprehension, Fallacy, or False Distinction, Credulity, Supinity, Adherence unto Antiquitie, Tradition, and Authoritie”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], London: […] T[homas] H[arper] for Edward Dod, […], →OCLC, 1st book, page 13:
      [T]he fallacie of Æquivocation and Amphibologie, […] conclude from the ambiguity of ſome vvord, or the ambiguous ſintaxis of many put together. From this fallacy aroſe the calamitous error of the Jevves, miſapprehending the Propheſies of their Meſſias, and expounding them alvvayes unto literall and temporal expectation.
    • 1670, John Milton, “The Sixth Book”, in The History of Britain, that Part Especially now Call’d England. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for James Allestry, […] , →OCLC, page 245:
      The next year vvas calamitous, bringing ſtrange fluxes upon men, and murren upon Cattel.
    • 1725 (indicated as 1726), [Daniel Defoe], “Letter VII. Of the Tradesman in Distress, and Becoming Bankrupt.”, in The Complete English Tradesman, in Familiar Letters; Directing Him in All the Several Parts and Progressions of Trade. […], volume I, London: […] Charles Rivington […], →OCLC, page 83:
      In former times it vvas a diſmal and calamitous thing for a tradeſman to break: vvhen it befell a family, it put all into confuſion and diſtraction; […]
    • 1752 March 21 (Gregorian calendar), Samuel Johnson, “No. 207. Tuesday, March 10. 1752.”, in The Rambler, volume VIII, Edinburgh: […] Sands, Murray, and Cochran; sold by W. Gordon, C. Wright, J. Yair, […], published 1752, →OCLC, page 169:
      Let him therefore lay dovvn his employment, vvhatever it be, vvhen he can no longer exert his former activity or attention; for nothing is more calamitous, than to croud the ſtage till a general hiſs commands him to depart.
    • 2017 October 14, Tom Phillips, “Chairman Xi crushes dissent but poor believe he's making China great”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian‎[1], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2025-03-16:
      For critics, foremost among them liberal intellectuals and human rights activists, Xi [Jinping]'s first term has proved calamitous. Some had hoped he would prove a political reformer. Instead, China's authoritarian leader has waged war on dissent with unexpected ferocity, throwing some opponents in jail and forcing others overseas.
  2. (obsolete) Of a person: involved in a calamity; hence, distressed, miserable.
    • 1726, John Ayliffe, “Of a Judge, His Power, Duty, and the Like”, in Parergon Juris Canonici Anglicani: Or, A Commentary, by Way of Supplement to the Canons and Constitutions of the Church of England. […], London: […] D. Leach, and sold by John Walthoe […], →OCLC, page 313:
      Nor ought a Judge, in taking cognizance of a Cauſe, to ſhevv any Anger or Reſentment againſt ſuch Perſons as he conceives to be his Enemies, nor to be prevailed on by the Tears and Prayers of calamitous Perſons, nor ought he to affect to be thought Good-natured or Moroſe, Merciful or Severe, but let him act vvith Calmneſs as the Lavv directs; […]
    • 1752 January 22 (Gregorian calendar), Samuel Johnson, “No. 190. Saturday, January 11. 1752.”, in The Rambler, volume VIII, Edinburgh: […] Sands, Murray, and Cochran; sold by W. Gordon, C. Wright, J. Yair, […], published 1752, →OCLC, pages 43–44:
      Thou haſt ſeen me happy and calamitous, thou haſt beheld my exaltation and my fall.

Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ “calamitous, adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2024.
  2. ^ “calamitous, adj.”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

Further reading

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