1. (n.) Any great misfortune or cause of misery; -- generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive evil, either to communities or individuals.
2. (n.) A state or time of distress or misfortune; misery.
Thesaurus Entries
accident, adversity, affliction, bane, blow, bugbear, burden, casualty, cataclysm, catastrophe, collapse, collision, contretemps, crack-up, crash, cross, crushing burden, curse, death, desolation, destruction, devastation, disaster, disease, distress, evil, fatal accident, fatality, grief, grievance, hardship, harm, ill hap, infliction, misadventure, mischance, misery, misfortune, mishap, nasty blow, nemesis, open wound, pest, pestilence, pileup, plague, reverse, ruin, ruination, running sore, scourge, shipwreck, shock, smash, smashup, staggering blow, thorn, torment, tragedy, trial, tribulation, trouble, vexation, violent death, visitation, woe, wreck, wretchedness
