1. a sudden event that causes great damage or suffering
造成巨大損害或苦難的突發事件
The earthquake was a catastrophe that left thousands homeless.
那場地震是一場災難，導致數千人無家可歸。
The failure of the dam would be an environmental catastrophe.
水壩潰堤將是一場環境災難。
Catastrophe Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
catastrophe
noun
快速理解
What does "Catastrophe" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Catastrophe"?
指突然發生的、造成巨大破壞或苦難的災難性事件。
- 1
重大災難
EN: a sudden event that causes great damage or suffering
翻譯: 指突然發生、造成巨大破壞或苦難的事件，如地震、洪水或戰爭。
- 2
徹底失敗
EN: a complete failure or fiasco
翻譯: 指計畫、事件或情況徹底失敗，結果非常糟糕。
- 3
戲劇性轉折
EN: the final, disastrous event in a drama
翻譯: 在戲劇（尤指古典悲劇）中，導致主角毀滅的災難性結局或轉折點。
- 4
地質突變
EN: a sudden, violent change in the earth's surface
翻譯: 在地質學中，指導致地球表面劇烈變化的突發性事件。
小提醒：注意：'catastrophe' 強調事件的『嚴重性』與『災難性後果』，比 'disaster' 或 'accident' 語氣更強烈，通常用於形容影響廣泛的極端不幸事件。
發音（How to Pronounce "Catastrophe" in English）
How to pronounce "Catastrophe" in English?"Catastrophe" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Catastrophe" from YouTube Videos
Bill Joy: What I'm worried about, what I'm excited about
TED
“For example, rather than trying to regulate away problems which probably won't work, if we could price into the cost of doing business the cost of catastrophe, so that people who are doing things that had a higher cost of catastrophe would have to take insurance against that risk.”
(1 out of 10)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Catastrophe"?How does "Catastrophe" change by context?
2. the final, disastrous event of a drama or a tragic downfall
戲劇中的最終災難性事件；悲慘的垮台
The play builds steadily toward its inevitable catastrophe.
這部戲劇穩步推向其不可避免的災難性結局。
His political career ended in catastrophe after the scandal.
他的政治生涯在醜聞後以災難性的垮台告終。
3. a complete failure; a fiasco
徹底的失敗；慘敗
The product launch was a catastrophe—nothing worked as planned.
產品發布會是一場慘敗——沒有一件事按計劃進行。
Their attempt to negotiate a peace treaty ended in catastrophe.
他們試圖談判和平條約的努力以徹底失敗告終。
4. a sudden, large-scale alteration in the earth's surface
地球表面突然、大規模的劇變
Some scientists believe a cosmic impact caused a global catastrophe.
一些科學家認為宇宙撞擊曾引發全球性的地表劇變。
The theory explores catastrophes that shaped the planet's early history.
該理論探討了塑造地球早期歷史的劇變事件。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Catastrophe"?How to make natural sentences with "Catastrophe"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| catastrophe + strikes | 災難降臨 | A sudden catastrophe struck the coastal town. (一場突如其來的災難襲擊了這座沿海城鎮。) |
| avert a catastrophe | 避免災難 | The engineers worked tirelessly to avert a catastrophe. (工程師們孜孜不倦地工作，以避免一場災難。) |
| lead to catastrophe | 導致災難 | Ignoring the warning signs could lead to catastrophe. (忽視這些警告信號可能導致災難。) |
| a catastrophe for + noun | 對…而言的災難 | The oil spill was a catastrophe for the local wildlife. (這次漏油事件對當地的野生動物來說是一場災難。) |
| on the brink of catastrophe | 處於災難的邊緣 | The country's economy was on the brink of catastrophe. (該國的經濟正處於災難的邊緣。) |
| a complete/total catastrophe | 徹底的災難 | The product launch was a complete catastrophe. (這次產品發布會是一場徹底的災難。) |
| spell catastrophe | 意味著災難 | A failure in the cooling system would spell catastrophe for the mission. (冷卻系統的故障將意味著任務的災難。) |
用法說明
How is "Catastrophe" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Catastrophe"?
catastrophe 與 catastrophic 的用法區別
- catastrophe 是名詞，指一個具體的、災難性的事件或結果。
- catastrophic 是形容詞，用來描述具有災難性特質的事物，或修飾可能導致災難的狀況。
- 常見錯誤是將名詞 catastrophe 直接當作形容詞使用，例如誤用 "catastrophe event"，正確應為 "catastrophic event"。
- 在預測或描述潛在後果時，形容詞 catastrophic 常與 "could be"、"would be" 或 "prove" 等詞連用。 EN: The failure of the dam was a catastrophe for the entire region. 翻譯: 水壩的潰堤對整個地區來說是一場災難。
EN:The dam failure had catastrophic consequences for the entire region.
翻譯:水壩潰堤對整個地區造成了災難性的後果。
EN:Such a mistake could lead to a catastrophe.
翻譯:這樣的錯誤可能導致一場災難。
EN:Such a mistake could have catastrophic results.
翻譯:這樣的錯誤可能帶來災難性的後果。
總結建議
記住 catastrophe 是「災難」事件本身，而 catastrophic 是用來形容「具有災難性的」事物或後果。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Catastrophe" and similar words?How to choose "Catastrophe" vs alternatives?
catastrophe vs disaster
兩者皆指嚴重的不幸事件，但「catastrophe」通常指規模更大、更具毀滅性且後果更為深遠的災難，常帶有突然、戲劇性的意味；「disaster」則泛指各種災難，使用範圍更廣，嚴重程度可大可小。
catastrophe vs calamity
「catastrophe」與「calamity」都指巨大的不幸，但「catastrophe」更側重於事件本身的突然性、戲劇性和毀滅性；「calamity」則更強調事件帶來的深重苦難、悲慘後果及對人們的影響，語氣較為莊重或文學化。
catastrophe vs tragedy
「catastrophe」強調事件本身的規模與毀滅性，是客觀描述；「tragedy」則更側重於事件中令人悲傷、惋惜的性質，尤其是涉及生命損失或個人不幸時，帶有主觀情感色彩。
口語用法
How is "Catastrophe" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Catastrophe"?
引述
用於引述他人或自己對某件壞事的描述，常與引述動詞如 call、say it's 連用。
EN: He called the whole situation an absolute catastrophe.
翻譯: 他把整個情況稱為一場徹頭徹尾的災難。
EN:I wouldn't go that far, but yeah, I did say it was a bit of a catastrophe.
翻譯:我不會說得那麼嚴重，但沒錯，我確實說過那有點像一場災難。
語氣強調
在日常對話中，常用來誇張地形容一些小混亂或不如預期的事，以達到幽默或強調效果。 EN: Oh no, I spilled coffee on my report! This is a catastrophe! 翻譯: 噢不，我把咖啡灑在報告上了！這簡直是一場災難！
EN:The cake sank in the middle. Total baking catastrophe.
翻譯:蛋糕中間塌下去了。完全是烘焙災難。
停頓填充
在描述一連串糟糕事件時，用作停頓點，總結前面的情況，再繼續說明後果或細節。 EN: The flight was canceled, our luggage was lost, and then — catastrophe — the hotel overbooked. 翻譯: 航班被取消，我們的行李丟了，然後——災難來了——酒店超額預訂了。
EN:First the power went out, then the pipes froze... catastrophe upon catastrophe.
翻譯:先是停電，然後水管凍住了…災難接二連三。
正式寫作注意：在學術或正式報告中，應避免將 catastrophe 用於形容輕微的個人不便，以保持其描述重大災難或系統性失敗的嚴肅性。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Catastrophe"?What fixed phrases with "Catastrophe" should I remember?
avoid a catastrophe
verb + a catastrophe
避免一場災難
lead to catastrophe
verb + to catastrophe
導致災難
on the brink of catastrophe
prepositional phrase
處於災難邊緣
avert a catastrophe
verb + a catastrophe
防止災難發生
a recipe for catastrophe
noun phrase
注定導致災難的配方；災難的根源
spell catastrophe
verb + catastrophe
意味著災難；招致災難
catastrophe unfolds
catastrophe + verb
災難展開/發生
total/complete catastrophe
adjective + catastrophe
徹底的/完全的災難
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Catastrophe"?Which "Catastrophe" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×It was a big catastrophe.
✓It was a catastrophe.
The word 'catastrophe' itself implies a very large-scale, disastrous event. Adding 'big' is redundant and unnatural in English.
×He made a catastrophe in the kitchen.
✓He caused a catastrophe in the kitchen.
'Make' is not the typical verb used with 'catastrophe'. We usually say 'cause a catastrophe', 'lead to a catastrophe', or 'result in a catastrophe'.
×I forgot my homework. What a catastrophe!
✓I forgot my homework. What a disaster!
'Catastrophe' is too strong a word for minor personal problems. It is reserved for events causing widespread damage, suffering, or the complete failure of something. Use 'disaster', 'mess', or 'problem' for less serious situations.
×The project was a complete catastrophe failure.
✓The project was a complete catastrophe. / The project was a catastrophic failure.
'Catastrophe' is a noun. The adjective form is 'catastrophic'. Do not use 'catastrophe' to modify another noun directly.
×We need to avoid future catastrophe.
✓We need to avoid a future catastrophe. / We need to avoid future catastrophes.
When used in a countable sense (referring to a specific event or type of event), 'catastrophe' usually requires an article (a/the) or is pluralized.
×The catastrophe of the company was due to poor management.
✓The company's catastrophe was due to poor management. / The catastrophe for the company was due to poor management.
Using 'of' can sometimes sound unnatural when indicating who or what is affected. Possessive forms ('s) or 'for' are often more idiomatic.
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Catastrophe"?What are tense/participle forms of "Catastrophe"?