Definition
灭顶之灾 is a four-character idiom (成语) that literally means 'a disaster that drowns you over your head'. It describes a catastrophic, utterly destructive calamity — something that wipes out everything, not necessarily a literal flood. Use it for events like total business failure, military defeat, or natural disasters that leave no survivors or recovery possible.
n.
a devastating calamitya catastrophe that destroys everything
Examples
- 灭顶之灾。Zhè cì jīnróng wēijī gěi hěnduō gōngsī dài lái le miè dǐng zhī zāi.This financial crisis brought a devastating calamity to many companies.
- ，灭顶之灾。Rúguǒ bù bǎohù huánjìng, rénlèi kěnéng miànlín miè dǐng zhī zāi.If we don't protect the environment, humanity may face a catastrophic disaster.
- 灭顶之灾。Nà chǎng zhànzhēng duì zhège guójiā lái shuō shì miè dǐng zhī zāi.That war was a devastating calamity for this country.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.