Twenty two years passed. Twenty-two years of excellent health and the boundless self-assurance that flows from being fit—twenty-two years spared the adversary that is illness and the calamity that waits in the wings.—Phillip Roth, Everyman, 2006A resentment born of the suspicion that all along the media were up to their usual tricks, hyping a national calamity to the max in order to make us buy more copies and tune into TV specials …—Christopher Buckley, Time, 29 Nov. 1999In the wake of this year's unending calamities, there has been renewed discussion of the need for an international rapid deployment force that can kick down doors to help victims of disasters.—Kathleen Hunt, New York Times Magazine, 28 July 1991
floods, earthquakes, and other calamities
He predicted calamity for the economy.
Recent Examples on the WebThe dire conclusion of the book supposes that Washington will be unable to communicate with Moscow and head off the calamity.—Annie Jacobsen, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024 Thirty years after the calamity that introduced Rwanda to much of the world, the country is alive with hope, thanks to the resilience and determination of its people.—Jonathan M. Hansen, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for calamity
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'calamity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English calamytey, from Latin calamitat-, calamitas; perhaps akin to Latin clades destruction
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