{
    "term": "disaster",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "an unexpected event, such as a very bad accident, a flood or a fire, that kills a lot of people or causes a lot of damage",
            "sensetop": "in a disaster",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "the world's worst humanitarian disaster"
                },
                {
                    "text": "an environmental/ecological disaster"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a rail/mining/tsunami disaster"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Thousands died in the disaster.",
                    "contextForm": "in a disaster"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They provided more than $2.3 billion in **disaster relief**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It was taking years for disaster victims to settle and rebuild."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Given the threat of earthquake, we recognized the need for **disaster recovery** centres."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Europe's worst environmental disaster is unfolding at this very moment."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He called for a full investigation to help prevent future disasters."
                },
                {
                    "text": "In a disaster everyone needs to keep calm."
                },
                {
                    "text": "In the aftermath of the disaster people were too shocked to give a clear picture of what had happened."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It was a miracle any of the passengers or crew survived the disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "No government could have handled a disaster of this magnitude effectively."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the need for a disaster management plan"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The disaster relief operation will continue over the summer."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The majority of enterprises aren't spending very much on disaster recovery at all."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They had no real experience in disaster management."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This morning I signed a disaster declaration for the state."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We have a disaster plan in place before every mission."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Will we ever find out why the disaster occurred?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a Hollywood disaster movie"
                },
                {
                    "text": "an organization which provides help for the victims of the disaster"
                },
                {
                    "text": "attempts to find out what caused the disaster"
                },
                {
                    "text": "communities affected by disasters"
                },
                {
                    "text": "counties eligible for federal disaster assistance"
                },
                {
                    "text": "fears of a nuclear disaster"
                },
                {
                    "text": "finding out why the disaster occurred"
                },
                {
                    "text": "providing help for the victims of the disaster"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the biggest disaster in British mining history"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the governor's disaster fund"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the planning and implementation of disaster preparedness"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the unfolding storm disaster in the South"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Such environmental disasters will become increasingly frequent."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They were involved in the 2001 ferry disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a near disaster in the city centre"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Although there was always the possibility of flooding, the Nile seldom brought disaster to Egypt."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["awful", "big", "catastrophic"],
                "verb + disaster": ["bring", "cause", "create"],
                "disaster + verb": ["happen", "occur", "strike"],
                "disaster + noun": ["area", "scene", "site"],
                "preposition": ["in a/​the disaster"],
                "phrases": [
                    "a disaster waiting to happen",
                    "in the aftermath of a disaster",
                    "a recipe for disaster"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a very bad situation that causes problems",
            "sensetop": "disaster for somebody",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Losing your job doesn't have to be such a disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**Disaster struck** when the wheel came off."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Archie has to act quickly to avert disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They could think of no way to avoid the impending disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Many business partnerships end in disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The discovery of the disease among sheep **spells** financial **disaster** for farmers.",
                    "contextForm": "disaster for somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Letting her organize the party is a **recipe for disaster** *(= something that is likely to go badly wrong)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Buying that house turned out to be a financial disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The festival ended up being a financial disaster for the promoters."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Everyone had the feeling that disaster was imminent."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Everything was going fine. Then, without warning, disaster struck."
                },
                {
                    "text": "High-rise buildings proved a social disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His prediction was not heeded, and disaster ensued."
                },
                {
                    "text": "In the last match of the series England were facing disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Independent analysts in the market predicted disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It could become a financial disaster scenario."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It seemed that nothing could prevent the impending disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It would spell certain economic disaster for our local community."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Just one mistake can mean disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It's courting disaster to go into the mountains without proper weatherproof clothing."
                },
                {
                    "text": "One person's mistakes can bring disaster to someone else."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The drought spelled economic disaster for the country."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The festival ended up being a financial disaster for the promoters."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The show ended in disaster when the tent collapsed."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Their departure spells social disaster for the region."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There are many who have suffered personal disasters but managed to rebuild their lives."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We could all see that disaster loomed for the company."
                },
                {
                    "text": "his firm belief that the whole world was heading for disaster"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the greatest electoral disaster of the century"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the unforeseen disaster that has just been thrust upon us"
                },
                {
                    "text": "What can be done to ward off environmental disaster?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "A disaster recovery plan allows a business to continue as usual in the event of system failures."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["awful", "big", "catastrophic"],
                "verb + disaster": ["bring", "cause", "create"],
                "disaster + verb": ["happen", "occur", "strike"],
                "disaster + noun": ["area", "scene", "site"],
                "preposition": ["in a/​the disaster"],
                "phrases": [
                    "a disaster waiting to happen",
                    "in the aftermath of a disaster",
                    "a recipe for disaster"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "a complete failure",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "As a teacher, he's a disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The play's first night was a total disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a complete/total/absolute/unmitigated disaster"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I am a walking disaster when it comes to paperwork."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He could already foresee the night turning into a total disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The play was a complete disaster from beginning to end."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The shirt was a definite fashion disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She was a competent accountant, but as a manager she's a disaster."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Difficulty and failure"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["absolute", "complete", "real"],
                "verb + disaster": ["prove", "turn out to be", "become"],
                "preposition": ["a disaster for somebody/​something"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a thing or person that is very likely to cause danger or a problem in the future because of the condition it is in or the way they behave",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Any one of these nuclear plants may be a disaster waiting to happen."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Danger"]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/dɪˈzɑːstə(r)/",
                "audio": "di/disaster/disaster__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/dɪˈzæstər/",
                "audio": "di/disaster/disaster__us_4.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late 16th cent.: from Italian disastro ‘ill-starred event’, from dis- (expressing negation) + astro ‘star’ (from Latin astrum)."
}