disaster, holocaust, tragedy

A disaster is an event causing damage or hardship. The word comes from Greek and Latin terms suggesting "from the stars" and hence has a connotation of bad luck: "Lillian felt that the loss of all her money was a minor disaster." "The collision of the cars was a disaster, but not a fatal one." Holocaust comes from a Greek word meaning "burnt" or "burned" and refers to complete devastation or destruction. That is, a holocaust is a disaster, but a disaster is not necessarily a holocaust. Floods, collisions, train wrecks, and accidents of many kinds are disasters, but holocaust is a term that should be reserved for immense destruction and widespread devastation: "The bombs falling in the crowded area resulted in a holocaust." Tragedy, a more general term, refers to any calamity or disaster, any dreadful or fatal event. One may, for instance, refer to the disaster or holocaust or tragedy of modern warfare.