desastre

See also: désastre

Catalan

Etymology

From des- +‎ astre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central) [dəˈzas.tɾə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia, Northwestern) [deˈzas.tɾe]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -astɾe

Noun

desastre m (plural desastres)

1. disaster

Derived terms

• desastrat
• desastrós

Related terms

• desastruc

Further reading

• “desastre”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “desastre”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026
• “desastre” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “desastre”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Galician

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /deˈsastɾe/ [d̪eˈs̺as̺.t̪ɾɪ]
• Rhymes: -astɾe
• Hyphenation: de‧sas‧tre

Noun

desastre m (plural desastres)

1. disaster (unforeseen event causing great loss, etc.)

Derived terms

• desastroso

Further reading

• “desastre”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026
• “desastre”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2026

Middle French

Noun

desastre m (plural desastres)

1. disaster
   • 1609, Thierry Rolins, Parthenie ou histoire de la tres-auguste et tres-devote Eglise de Chartres:

     Le second desastre d'icelle Eglise, advint encores par feu, l'an 973

     The second disaster for the Church was again by fire, in 973

Occitan

Pronunciation

• Audio (Béarn):

  (file)

Noun

desastre m (plural desastres)

1. disaster

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French desastre, from Italian disastro, from dis- + astro (“star”), from Latin astrum (“star”), from Ancient Greek ἄστρον (ástron, “star”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /deˈzas.tɾi/, /d͡ʒiˈzas.tɾi/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /deˈzas.tɾi/, /d͡ʒiˈzas.tɾi/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /deˈzaʃ.tɾi/, /d͡ʒiˈzaʃ.tɾi/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /dɨˈzaʃ.tɾɨ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡zaʃ.tɾɨ/
• Hyphenation: de‧sas‧tre

Noun

desastre m (plural desastres)

1. disaster (unforeseen event causing great loss, etc.)

   Synonyms: catástrofe, desgraça, acidente, cataclismo, tragédia

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:desastre.

Related terms

• desastrado
• desastroso

Further reading

• “desastre”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “desastre”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Occitan desastre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /deˈsastɾe/ [d̪eˈsas.t̪ɾe]
• Rhymes: -astɾe
• Syllabification: de‧sas‧tre

Noun

desastre m (plural desastres)

1. disaster, catastrophe, calamity

   Synonym: catástrofe

   El terremoto no fue un revés menor; fue un desastre.

   The earthquake wasn't a minor setback; it was a calamity.

   Sería un desastre si el siguiente genocidio en un país del tercer mundo no es recibido con una respuesta y un plan de acción internacionales.

   It would be a catastrophe if the next genocide in a third world country is not met with an international response and plan of action.

2. disaster, a debacle, a bust

   Toda la operación fue un completo desastre. Nunca deberíamos haber desperdiciado tanto tiempo, esfuerzo y recursos en una misión inútil.

   The whole operation was a complete disaster. We never should have wasted so much time, effort and resources on a fool's errand.

3. (figuratively) mess, shambles, wreckage

   Siento que mi casa esté hecha un desastre ahora mismo.

   I'm sorry that my place is such a mess right now.

   ¡Qué desastre!

   What a mess!

4. (figuratively, colloquial) something messed up

   Lo que él le hizo a esa pobre mujer es un desastre.

   What he did to that poor woman is messed up.

5. (figuratively, colloquial) a hot mess, train wreck

Derived terms

• desastre natural
• desastroso
• zona de desastre

Further reading

• “desastre”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025