desastre
El terremoto causó un gran desastre.
The earthquake caused a great disaster.
A sudden event that causes great damage, destruction, or distress.
El huracán dejó un desastre a su paso.
The hurricane left a disaster in its wake.
La guerra fue un desastre para la economía del país.
The war was a disaster for the country's economy.
Often used to describe natural disasters, accidents, or catastrophic events.
Collocations
Synonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Usage
In Spanish, 'desastre' is often used to describe both literal disasters (like natural disasters) and figurative ones (like a failed project).
Gold Rule
Context Matters
Pay attention to the context to determine if 'desastre' is being used literally or figuratively.
Word Origin
From Latin 'disaster', from Italian 'disastro', from 'dis-' (bad) + 'astro' (star), originally referring to an unfavorable astrological event.
Usage Notes
Can be used both literally and figuratively to describe any situation that results in significant failure or damage.