English-Thai Dictionary

calamity

N เหตุการณ์ ที่ เลวร้าย  disaster cataclysm distress hed-karn-tee-leo-rai

 

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CALAMITY

n.Any great misfortune, or cause of misery; generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive evils, as loss of crops, earthquakes, conflagrations, defeat of armies, and the like. But it is applied also to the misfortunes which bring great distress upon individuals. The deliberations of calamity are rarely wise.

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

CALAMITY

Ca *lam "i *ty n.; pl. Calamities. Etym: [L. calamitas, akin to in- columis unharmed: cf. F. calamité ]

 

1. Any great misfortune or cause of misery; -- generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive evil, either to communities or individuals.

 

Note: The word calamity was first derived from calamus when the corn could not get out of the stalk. Bacon. Strokes of calamity that scathe and scorch the soul. W. Irving.

 

2. A state or time of distress or misfortune; misery. The deliberations of calamity are rarely wise. Burke. Where'er I came I brought calamity. Tennyson.

 

Syn. -- Disaster; distress; afflicition; adversity; misfortune; unhappiness; infelicity; mishap; mischance; misery; evil; extremity; exigency; downfall. -- Calamity, Disaster, Misfortune, Mishap, Mischance. Of these words, calamity is the strongest. It supposes a somewhat continuous state, produced not usually by the direct agency of man, but by natural causes, such as fire, flood, tempest, disease, etc, Disaster denotes literally ill-starred, and is some unforeseen and distressing event which comes suddenly upon us, as if from hostile planet. Misfortune is often due to no specific cause; it is simply the bad fortune of an individual; a link in the chain of events; an evil independent of his own conduct, and not to be charged as a fault. Mischance and mishap are misfortunes of a trivial nature, occurring usually to individuals. "A calamity is either public or private, but more frequently the former; a disaster is rather particular than private; it affects things rather than persons; journey, expedition, and military movements are often attended with disasters; misfortunes are usually personal; they immediately affect the interests of the individual. " Crabb.

 

New American Oxford Dictionary

calamity

ca lam i ty |kəˈlamitē kəˈlæmədi | ▶noun ( pl. calamities ) an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster: the fire was the latest calamity to strike the area | the journey had led to calamity and ruin. ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘disaster and distress ’): from Old French calamite, from Latin calamitas.

 

Calamity Jane

Ca lam i ty Jane |ˈjān kəˈlæmədi ˈʤeɪn | ( c. 1852 –1903 ), US frontierswoman; noted for her skill at shooting and riding; born Martha Jane Cannary. She dressed as a man and was known for her wild behavior and heavy drinking. She later joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

 

Oxford Dictionary

calamity

ca ¦lam |ity |kəˈlamɪti | ▶noun ( pl. calamities ) an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster: emergency measures may be necessary in order to avert a calamity | [ mass noun ] : the journey had led to calamity and ruin. ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘disaster and distress ’): from Old French calamite, from Latin calamitas.

 

Calamity Jane

Ca ¦lam |ity Jane |kəlamətiˈʤeɪn | ( c. 1852 –1903 ), American frontierswoman, noted for her skill at shooting and riding; born Martha Jane Cannary.

 

American Oxford Thesaurus

calamity

calamity noun she has survived more calamities in the past three months than most people experience in a lifetime: disaster, catastrophe, tragedy, cataclysm, adversity, tribulation, affliction, misfortune, misadventure. ANTONYMS godsend.

 

Oxford Thesaurus

calamity

calamity noun the fire was only the latest calamity to strike the area: disaster, catastrophe, tragedy, cataclysm, devastating blow, crisis, adversity, blight, tribulation, woe, affliction, evil; misfortune, misadventure, accident, stroke of bad luck, reverse of fortune, setback, mischance, mishap; archaic bale; Scottish archaic mishanter. ANTONYMS godsend, blessing.

 

Sanseido Wisdom Dictionary

calamity

ca lam i ty /kəlǽməti /名詞 複 -ties /-z /C U ｟かたく ｠(大きな )不幸 , 災難 , 災禍 ; (突然の )災害 , 惨事 .