cataclysm

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'cataclysm' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use the word to refer to a violent or sudden event that causes great destruction or change. Example sentence: The economic cataclysm resulted in a global financial crisis.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The disclosure of Prism resulted in a cataclysm in technology circles, with tech giants launching extensive PR campaigns to reassure their customers of data security and successfully pressing the Obama administration to allow them greater leeway to disclose the volume and type of data requests served to them by the government.

The Guardian

Obviously that cannot go on indefinitely, but European economies need time to recover from the cataclysm of the financial crisis, which was the first cause of the huge collapse in demand in 2009, with repercussions on productivity.

The Guardian - Business

The integrity of their quarrel is one of the few institutions that have been unaltered in the cataclysm which has swept the world," Churchill wrote.

The Guardian

All the while, he has effectively been Australia's civilian commemorator in chief - preparing Australia's most revered and popular public institution for the four-year festival of commemoration of the global cataclysm that was the first world war but to which Australia refers parochially as Anzac100.

The Guardian

And learn we must, if Los Angeles's notoriously fragile ecology is not to be driven one step closer toward cataclysm by our heroines' reckless machinations.

The Guardian

But that does not stop people continuing to worry that esoteric phenomena at the edge of physics might spell The End Of Everything in a satisfyingly B-movieish cataclysm.

The Economist

Piece by piece, Congress's entrenched dominance is being undone.In this section Stuffed again Paint it black The exodus The bear on the doorstep Buddhist power Congress after the cataclysm ReprintsRecovery from one awful election is imaginable.

The Economist

And although the government in Tehran knows it cannot risk an all-out confrontation with America, nor can it be easily confident of stopping just short of such a cataclysm if it continues to raise the stakes.

The Economist

Hamish Hamilton; £14.99This literary equivalent of a Marc Chagall shtetl painting tells two stories that collide in the cataclysm of the Holocaust.

The Economist

However, as he describes in Naturwissenschaften, when he and his team examined the area, they were stunned to discover a revenant from this cataclysm just 50 metres from the crater.In this section Beta testing Keep your mind on the road Not always the ring of truth Thunderbirds are gone ReprintsLike a battle-scarred soldier, this now-great pine had many half-healed wounds in its trunk.

The Economist

This is appealing to conservative Republicans whom it would allow, in theory, to vote against a higher debt ceiling without being blamed for the cataclysm of a default.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "cataclysm" to describe events that involve sudden and widespread destruction or change, such as natural disasters, economic collapses, or social upheavals. It is most impactful when the scale of the event is significant.

Common error

Avoid using "cataclysm" to describe minor setbacks or inconveniences. The word implies a massive scale of devastation and should be reserved for truly significant events.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "cataclysm" is as a noun. It typically functions as the subject or object of a sentence, describing a sudden, violent, and often destructive event. Ludwig examples illustrate this use in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

46%

Encyclopedias

15%

Science

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

9%

Reference

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "cataclysm" is a noun used to describe a sudden and violent event causing significant destruction or change. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and frequently appears in news, encyclopedias, and scientific contexts. While versatile, reserve its use for appropriately impactful situations, avoiding overuse in trivial scenarios. Consider synonyms like "disaster", "catastrophe", or "upheaval" for slightly different shades of meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

great calamity

Synonymous, but with a slightly more formal or archaic tone.

severe catastrophe

Emphasizes the magnitude and severity of the disaster.

massive devastation

Highlights the widespread destruction and damage caused.

major disaster

Focuses on the disastrous aspect, downplaying the suddenness or transformative nature.

sweeping disaster

Conveys the comprehensive and far-reaching impact of the event.

sudden upheaval

Emphasizes the abrupt and disruptive change inherent in the event.

large-scale tragedy

Emphasizes the widespread suffering and loss involved.

devastating event

Highlights the destructive consequences and impact.

tragic occurrence

Focuses on the sorrowful and unfortunate nature of the event.

world-shattering event

Conveys that an event completely and irrevocably changed the course of history.

FAQs

How to use "cataclysm" in a sentence?

Use "cataclysm" to describe a sudden and violent event causing great destruction or change. For instance, "The earthquake was a "great calamity" that devastated the entire region".

What can I say instead of "cataclysm"?

You can use alternatives like "disaster", "catastrophe", or "upheaval" depending on the specific context.

Which is correct, "cataclysm" or "catastrophe"?

Both "cataclysm" and "catastrophe" refer to disastrous events, but "cataclysm" often implies a more violent and transformative event than "catastrophe".

What's the difference between "cataclysm" and "tragedy"?

"Cataclysm" emphasizes the sudden and destructive nature of an event, while "tragedy" highlights the sorrowful and unfortunate aspects. A "major disaster" can be a tragedy, but a tragedy isn't always a cataclysm.