catastrophe

kә'tæstrәfi

高考六级考研托福雅思GRE Collins 2

n. a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune
n. a sudden violent change in the earth's surface

n. 大灾难, 大祸
[化] 突变

Collins 星级

8,422

BNC 频率

6,648

使用频率

catastrophe 由前缀 cata-（向下）和词根 strophe（转变、旋转）组成，整体意思为“向下的转变”，可以理解为灾难带来的负面变化。

例句

1. The earthquake was a major catastrophe that affected thousands of people.

这场地震是一起重大的灾难，影响了成千上万的人。

2. The oil spill caused an environmental catastrophe in the ocean.

石油泄漏在海洋中造成了环境灾难。

3. They learned from the catastrophe and improved their safety measures.

他们从这次灾难中吸取教训，改进了安全措施。