disastrous
Causing great damage, trouble or failure.
disastrous in a sentence
- The storm had a disastrous effect on the farmer's crops.
- Our first try at baking bread was disastrous, and the loaf came out as hard as a brick.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to disastrous?
- Afortunate
- Bexcellent
- Cterrible
- Dsuccessful
Show the answer
C: terrible. The other three mean the opposite of disastrous.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to disastrous?
- Asuccessful
- Bdreadful
- Cterrible
- Druinous
Show the answer
A: successful. The other three mean nearly the same as disastrous.
Words that mean something similar
terrible, dreadful, ruinous
Words that mean the opposite
successful, fortunate, excellent
More words about time & change
- dormant: Not active now, as if asleep, but able to wake up later.
- drastic: Sudden and extreme, with a very big effect.
- durable: Strong enough to last a long time without breaking.
- ebb: To slowly get weaker or drain away, like the tide going out.
- elapse: To go by or pass, used when talking about time.
- endure: To put up with something difficult for a long time.
- ensue: To happen straight after something else, often because of it.
- evolve: To change and develop slowly over time.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test