cataclysms
|cat-a-clysm|
🇺🇸
/ˈkætəˌklɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/ˈkætəklɪz(ə)m/
(cataclysm)
violent upheaval
Etymology
'cataclysm' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'kataklysmos', where 'kata-' meant 'down' and 'klyzein' (or 'klysmos') meant 'to wash' or 'a washing.'
'kataklysmos' passed into Late Latin as 'cataclysmus' and via Medieval/Modern French 'cataclysme' entered English as 'cataclysm'.
Initially it referred specifically to a great flood or inundation; over time it broadened to mean any large-scale destructive event or upheaval.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a large-scale and violent natural event (such as a flood, earthquake, or tsunami) that causes great destruction.
The region has experienced several cataclysms over the past 100 years, including massive floods and earthquakes.
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Noun 2
a sudden, violent political or social upheaval that brings radical change.
The collapse of the regime produced political cataclysms throughout the country.
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Noun 3
a momentous, often destructive event or change used figuratively to describe sweeping transformation.
Technological cataclysms have reshaped entire industries in a matter of years.
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Last updated: 2025/12/09 03:54