Eucatastrophe

/ˌjuːkəˈtæstrəfi/ noun

A sudden, favorable turn of events at the end of a story; a happy ending that emerges from the darkest moment.

Coined by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1944 from Greek 'eu' (good) + 'catastrophe' (overturning). Tolkien believed the best stories turn disaster into unexpected joy — as in Gollum's fall into Mount Doom.

📖 Full word page — etymology, 47 translations, audio 🔑 Get Free API Key — 50 lookups/day 📚 Read the Docs — integrate Word Orb