annus horribilis
Year of disasters
Annus horribilis is Latin for "horrible year"—a year marked by disaster, misfortune, or calamity.
The phrase gained wide currency after Queen Elizabeth II used it in 1992 to describe a year of royal scandals and Windsor Castle's fire: After the divorce, the layoff, and the flood, I'm ready to put this annus horribilis behind me.
Sudden ruinous event
- calamitySevere misfortune or disaster
- tragedyDisastrous or sorrowful event
- crisisDecisive dangerous moment
- debacleSudden, complete failure
fiasco · meltdown · collapse · ruin · downfall · cataclysm · upheaval · devastation
Suffering from difficult circumstances
- tribulationState of great distress
- ordealDifficult, painful experience
- afflictionCause of ongoing distress
- sufferingSustained experience of distress
struggle · woe · anguish · distress · turmoil · grief · trauma · plight
British monarchy's surname
- Queen ElizabethBritish crown wearer
- monarchyRule by crowned sovereign
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
- divorceLegal end of matrimony
fire · separation · palace · tabloid · Charles · Diana · Buckingham · abdication
Economic decline period
- recessionProlonged economic decline
- slumpExtended period of decline
- depressionProlonged low state
- bankruptcyLegal status when insolvent
failure · defeat · plunge · deterioration · regression · stagnation · freefall · spiral
disaster
Sudden ruinous event
- calamitySevere misfortune or disaster
- tragedyDisastrous or sorrowful event
- crisisDecisive dangerous moment
debacle · fiasco · meltdown · collapse · ruin · downfall · cataclysm · upheaval · devastation · wreckage
hardship
Suffering from difficult circumstances
- tribulationState of great distress
- ordealDifficult, painful experience
- afflictionCause of ongoing distress
suffering · struggle · woe · anguish · distress · turmoil · grief · trauma · plight · predicament
Windsor
British monarchy's surname
- Queen ElizabethBritish crown wearer
- monarchyRule by crowned sovereign
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
divorce · fire · separation · palace · tabloid · Charles · Diana · Buckingham · abdication · succession
downturn
Economic decline period
- recessionProlonged economic decline
- slumpExtended period of decline
- depressionProlonged low state
bankruptcy · failure · defeat · plunge · deterioration · regression · stagnation · freefall · spiral · nadir
annus horribilisbanner year
Period of outstanding success
vintage year · golden age · glory days · halcyon days · heyday
horror, horrible, annual, horrid, horrific, horrify, horrifying, horribly, horrified