disaster /dɪˈzɑːstə/ (n.) a sudden accident or a natural catastrophe that causes great damage or loss of life. "159 people died in the disaster" synonymous:catastrophe, calamity, cataclysm, tragedy, act of God, holocaust; more. • denoting a genre of films that use natural or accidental catastrophe as the mainspring of plot and setting. modifier noun: disaster "a disaster movie" • an event or fact that has unfortunate consequences. "a string of personal disasters" • Jeongguk's life.