catastrophe; disaster; assassination
A sudden, tragic event, often implying violence or death. Can refer to natural disasters, but also to man-made calamities such as assassinations. Somewhat literary or formal.
The catastrophe shocked the entire nation.
The history book records the king's assassination in detail.
Standard kanji spelling for 'catastrophe' or 'disaster'.
Variant using 兇 (kyō, 'wickedness'); less common than 凶変.
Compound of 凶 (kyō, 'bad luck, disaster') and 変 (hen, 'change, unusual event'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination conveys a sudden, disastrous turn of events.