Meaning
catastrophe, disaster
In a sentence
La festa è stata una catastrofe totale.
The party was a total disaster.
Hai visto la catastrofe in cucina ieri?
Did you see the disaster in the kitchen yesterday?
Non è una catastrofe, possiamo ancora sistemare tutto.
It’s not a catastrophe, we can still fix everything.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| catastrofe | feminine · singular |
| catastrofi | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use catastrofe for very serious disasters; disastro is broader and also works for messes, failures, or terrible performances.
- Often used hyperbolically in speech: È stata una catastrofe! sounds dramatic and informal, not necessarily a real disaster.
- Feminine noun: la catastrofe, una catastrofe. Plural is le catastrofi, not catastrofe.