disaster

awful, big, dreadful, great, major, terrible, worst

The earthquake was a terrible disaster that destroyed thousands of homes in the region.

near

The goalkeeper's mistake was a near disaster, but his team still managed to win the match.

imminent, impending

The company faced an imminent disaster when their main factory caught fire.

natural

A terrible earthquake struck the region last year, causing a natural disaster that affected thousands of families.

air, ecological, environmental, flood, military, mining, nuclear, rail

The mining disaster trapped hundreds of workers underground for several days.

bring, cause, lead to, spell

The sudden collapse of the bridge led to disaster for the entire region.

avert, avoid, prevent, save sb/sth from, stave off, ward off

Quick thinking by the pilot helped avert a potential disaster when the engine failed.

predict, prophesy

When the bridge showed cracks, engineers predicted disaster if repairs weren't made immediately.

court, invite

Ignoring the safety warnings when climbing that ladder was really inviting disaster.

be heading for

If we don't act soon on climate change, our planet is heading for disaster.

face

The company faced disaster when their main factory burned down last year.

suffer

After the flood, the family suffered a terrible disaster but eventually recovered.

survive

After the earthquake, remarkably few people survived the natural disaster that destroyed the entire village.

end in

Their wedding reception ended in disaster after the catering company forgot to deliver the food.

happen, occur, strike

When the earthquake struck, the entire coastal region became a disaster area overnight.

befall sb/sth, hit sb/sth, strike sb/sth

A terrible storm struck the coastal town last summer, leaving thousands homeless.

loom, threaten

A financial crisis threatened disaster for thousands of small businesses across the country.

area, zone

The government set up emergency shelters throughout the disaster zone after the earthquake.

in a/the ~

When the storm hit, the whole city descended into a disaster.

a disaster waiting to happen

If you don't fix that old bridge soon, it's a disaster waiting to happen.

in the aftermath of a disaster

In the aftermath of a disaster, communities often come together to help rebuild their neighborhoods.

a recipe for disaster

Mixing those two chemicals together without proper training is a recipe for disaster.

a victim of a disaster

Many families who were victims of the disaster received financial support from the government.

absolute, complete, real, total, unmitigated

The project turned into an absolute disaster when the main server crashed before launch.

economic, financial, social

The factory closure was an economic disaster for the entire town.

prove, turn out to be

The company's decision to cut all customer service staff turned out to be a complete disaster.