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to hyper-imagine negative outcomes to a situation that have no basis in reality. to blow setbacks or problems out of proportion such that you sprial into an emotional catastrophe.
Joe sat, stuck in traffic, and he began to catastrophize missing delivering the perfect sales pitch, losing the commission that he planned to spend on his new outfit that he would wear to the club to meet the perfect girl. He fell into despair as he realized how pointless his life was because of the traffic.
by ballistickitten August 17, 2008
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To Catastrophize is to make a situation seem worse than what it actually is.
After you buddy spends 15 minutes complaining about how "crappy" his day was you can turn and tell him to stop Catastrophizing and get on with it.

A friend who is melodramatic would catastrophize a lot.
by Echo Bravo April 14, 2008
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A malapropism spoken frequently by a stupid bitch who infamously shit out octuplets on the government dole (AKA "Octomom", "Nadya Suleman").
While describing the circumstances surrounding her firing the nannies for whose services she was not paying:

"Honestly, all of that is a joke; all of that is beyond catastrophized."

While describing a 911 phone call where she repeatedly proclaimed that she was going to kill herself:

"It's completely catastrophized. I was running around the backyard of my house and in the house looking for him..."
by SiXiXiX March 27, 2009
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catastrophic success

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An event or product that attracts so much interest and attention that it exceeds its own sustaining capacity, resulting in the inability of the organization to respond to demand.
The new product was such a hit that the store ran out, resulting in angry crowds destroying the mall. It was a catastrophic success for the company.
by ohlms March 10, 2009
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Catastrophizing

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A psychotherapeutic term for a cognitive distortion where anxiety or depression leads you to infer apocalyptic conclusions from mundane setbacks and anxieties.
Catastrophizing usually comes in a litany of steps that start from a mundane setback all the way to absolute existential hoplessness. For instance:

1. Oh no, I'm going to be late for work.
2. My boss is going to be angry.
3. I'm going to lose my job.
4. I'm not going to be able to get another one.
5. I'm going to be unemployed forever.
6. My family will starve.
7. Oh God, we're all going to die!!!

Each step in the sequence is arguably plausible, but the snowball effect takes it into the realms of absurdity after a while.
by The Logical Fallacy August 19, 2018
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catastrophilia

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A disorder characterized by a powerful and ongoing addiction to drama and catastrophe.
His secret longing for a devastating nuclear disaster was part of his intense catastrophilia.
by Dr Bunnygirl February 1, 2019
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Down Catastrophic

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A more severe/extreme version of Down Bad or Down Horrendous. The term is usually used to describe someone who hasn't had a significant other or a hookup in a very long time and is just downright desperate for literally anyone at this point so that they can experience love, lust, affection, and everything in between.
Marie: "Hey, isn't this boy cute?" *Shows picture of HIDEOUS boy*
Stacie: *Throws up* "Ew Marie! You are definitely down catastrophic!"
Moral of the story is, don't get to a point where you're down catastrophic.
by KyeKage February 17, 2021
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