1. a sudden event that causes great damage or loss of life
造成重大損害或生命損失的突發事件
The earthquake was a major disaster for the region.
這場地震對該地區來說是一場重大災難。
Natural disasters like floods and hurricanes are becoming more frequent.
像洪水、颶風這樣的自然災害正變得越來越頻繁。
Disaster Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
disaster
noun
快速理解
What does "Disaster" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Disaster"?
指造成嚴重破壞、損失或苦難的重大不幸事件。
- 1
自然災害
EN: A natural event causing great damage or loss of life.
翻譯: 指由自然力量引發的重大災害，如地震、颱風、洪水等。
- 2
人為災難
EN: A serious accident or failure caused by human action.
翻譯: 指由人為錯誤、疏忽或技術失誤造成的重大事故或失敗。
- 3
徹底失敗
EN: A complete failure or fiasco.
翻譯: 用於形容計畫、活動或情況徹底失敗、一團糟。
- 4
災難性後果
EN: A situation or event with disastrous consequences.
翻譯: 強調事件或情況所帶來的極度負面、毀滅性的後果。
小提醒：注意 'disaster' 不僅指天災，也常用於形容人為的嚴重失敗或混亂局面，例如 'The party was a complete disaster.'（那場派對徹底搞砸了）。
發音（How to Pronounce "Disaster" in English）
How to pronounce "Disaster" in English?"Disaster" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Disaster" from YouTube Videos
Ruchi Sanghvi on Sweating the Details
Y Combinator
“now, if I cultivated these same values at Dropbox, things would have just been a disaster.”
(1 out of 47)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Disaster"?How does "Disaster" change by context?
2. a complete failure or something that is very unsuccessful
徹底的失敗或非常不成功的事情
The party was a total disaster; almost no one showed up.
那場派對徹底失敗了，幾乎沒人出席。
His attempt to fix the sink turned into a plumbing disaster.
他試圖修理水槽，結果變成了一場水管災難。
3. a person or thing that is very bad or causes serious problems
非常糟糕或造成嚴重問題的人或事物
That new policy is a disaster for small businesses.
那項新政策對小企業來說是一場災難。
He's a complete disaster in the kitchen.
他在廚房裡簡直是一場災難。
4. a situation with extremely negative consequences
後果極其負面的情況
The company is heading for financial disaster.
這家公司正走向財務災難。
Mixing those chemicals would be a recipe for disaster.
混合那些化學品將是災難的配方。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Disaster"?How to make natural sentences with "Disaster"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| disaster + strikes | 災難降臨 | When disaster strikes, the community must come together. (當災難降臨時，社區必須團結一致。) |
| a recipe for disaster | 注定失敗的計畫；災難的根源 | Mixing those two chemicals is a recipe for disaster. (混合那兩種化學物質是災難的根源。) |
| spell disaster (for + noun) | (對…)意味著災難 | The sudden frost could spell disaster for the orange crop. (突如其來的霜凍可能意味著柳橙收成的災難。) |
| avert/avoid a disaster | 避免一場災難 | The pilot's quick thinking averted a major disaster. (飛行員的快速思考避免了一場重大災難。) |
| cope with/deal with a disaster | 應對災難 | The government is struggling to cope with the scale of the disaster. (政府正努力應對這場災難的規模。) |
| a natural/man-made disaster | 自然／人為災難 | The oil spill was a man-made disaster with long-lasting effects. (那次漏油事件是一場影響深遠的人為災難。) |
| end in disaster | 以災難告終 | Their ambitious expedition ended in disaster. (他們雄心勃勃的探險以災難告終。) |
用法說明
How is "Disaster" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Disaster"?
disaster 與 disastrous 的用法區別
- disaster 是名詞，指「災難、災禍」本身，描述一個事件或情況。
- disastrous 是形容詞，意思是「災難性的、極糟的」，用來修飾名詞，描述其性質或結果。
- 常見錯誤是將名詞 disaster 直接當作形容詞使用，例如
a disaster event是不正確的，應使用a disastrous event。 - 在口語中，
a disaster有時可單獨用作主語補語，描述情況很糟，例如The party was a disaster.。
對比例句： EN: The earthquake was a major disaster for the region. 翻譯: 這場地震對該地區是一場大災難。
EN:The earthquake had a disastrous impact on the local economy.
翻譯:這場地震對當地經濟造成了災難性的影響。
EN:Their investment plan turned out to be a complete disaster.
翻譯:他們的投資計畫結果徹底失敗。
EN:They made a disastrous decision to invest all their money.
翻譯:他們做了個災難性的決定，把所有的錢都投了進去。
總結建議
記住 disaster (n.) 指「災難」這件事物，而 disastrous (adj.) 則是用來形容「像災難一樣糟的」性質或後果。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Disaster" and similar words?How to choose "Disaster" vs alternatives?
disaster vs catastrophe
兩者皆指嚴重的不幸事件，但 'catastrophe' 通常指規模更大、後果更嚴重、更具毀滅性的事件，常帶有最終、無可挽回的意味。'disaster' 的使用範圍較廣，可指各種規模的災難。
disaster vs tragedy
'disaster' 側重於事件造成的破壞、混亂與不幸結果；'tragedy' 則更強調事件引發的悲傷、哀痛與情感衝擊，尤其涉及死亡或嚴重苦難時。
disaster vs calamity
兩者意思非常接近，常可互換。細微差別在於 'calamity' 語氣更為正式或文學化，且可能更強調事件帶來的極度悲傷、苦難或不幸的狀態。
口語用法
How is "Disaster" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Disaster"?
引述
用於引述他人對某事的負面評價或誇張說法。 EN: He walked in and said, "What a disaster!" after seeing the messy room. 翻譯: 他走進來，看到亂糟糟的房間後說：「真是一場災難！」
EN:My friend texted me, "The party was a total disaster."
翻譯:我朋友傳訊息給我說：「那派對徹底搞砸了。」
語氣強調
常與 "total", "complete", "absolute" 等詞連用，強調情況極度糟糕或失敗。 EN: The new software update is a complete disaster for our workflow. 翻譯: 這個新的軟體更新對我們的工作流程來說完全是場災難。
EN:Trying to cook that complicated recipe without preparation was an absolute disaster.
翻譯:沒做準備就想煮那道複雜的菜餚，結果絕對是場災難。
停頓填充
在口語中，有時會用 "It was a disaster, you know..." 作為停頓，引出後續解釋或尋求共鳴。 EN: So my presentation... it was a disaster, I totally forgot my main points. 翻譯: 所以我的簡報...簡直是場災難，我完全忘了要講的重點。
EN:The trip started well, but the flight back? A disaster, honestly.
翻譯:這趟旅行開始時很順利，但回程的航班？老實說，一場災難。
正式寫作注意：在學術或正式報告中，應避免將 "disaster" 用於過於口語化或誇張的比喻（如形容一個小錯誤為 "a total disaster"），建議改用更精確、客觀的詞彙，如 "failure"、"setback" 或 "severe problem"。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Disaster"?What fixed phrases with "Disaster" should I remember?
natural disaster
noun phrase
自然災害
a recipe for disaster
idiom
注定失敗的配方；必然導致災難的情況
disaster relief
noun phrase
災難救援；災後救濟
disaster strikes
verb phrase
災難來襲；災難發生
avert a disaster
verb phrase
避免一場災難
disaster area
noun phrase
災區
a complete/total disaster
noun phrase
徹底的失敗；一場徹頭徹尾的災難
ecological disaster
noun phrase
生態災難
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Disaster"?Which "Disaster" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×The earthquake caused a great disaster.
✓The earthquake was a great disaster.
While 'disaster' is a countable noun, it's more natural to say something 'was a disaster' or 'caused disaster' (uncountable) rather than 'caused a disaster' in this context. 'Cause disaster' (uncountable) emphasizes the general concept of destruction.
×It was total disaster.
✓It was a total disaster.
'Disaster' as a countable noun typically requires an article (a/an/the) or a possessive pronoun (my, their) when used in the singular, unless it's part of a fixed phrase like 'in disaster'.
×The region has experienced many disaster last year.
✓The region has experienced many disasters last year.
When modified by 'many', 'several', 'a few', or a number, the countable noun 'disaster' must be in its plural form.
×The situation is disaster.
✓The situation is disastrous.
'Disaster' is a noun. To describe a noun (situation) with the quality of being like a disaster, you must use the adjective form 'disastrous'.
×The project ended with disaster.
✓The project ended in disaster.
The fixed prepositional phrase for describing a final, catastrophic outcome is 'end in disaster', not 'end with disaster'.
×It was a dissaster.
✓It was a disaster.
Common misspelling. Remember the correct spelling is 'disaster' (one 's', followed by 'a').
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Disaster"?What are tense/participle forms of "Disaster"?