Vocabulary Builder — Essay & Answer Writing
Cataclysm
noun
/ KAT-uh-kliz-um /
Hard
Meaning
A violent upheaval, disaster, or sudden disruption, geological, political, or economic.
Origin / Etymology
From Greek 'kataklysmos' (flood, deluge), 'kata-' (down) + 'klysmos' (a washing). Originally biblical (Noah's Flood), later figurative for any massive disruption.
Synonyms
Catastrophe
Upheaval
Maelstrom
Antonyms
Stability
Equilibrium
Tranquillity
Example Sentence
"Below-normal 2026 monsoon at 92% of LPA need not be a cataclysm if India's groundwater reform and crop-diversification policies absorb the shock."
🎯 UPSC Usage
GS3 Environment / Disaster Management: Use for high-impact, low-probability events, climate cataclysm, economic cataclysm. Avoid overuse; reserve for genuinely systemic disruption.
Relevant Subjects
