apocalypse
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apocalypse
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Apocalypse
ApocalypsenounBible (in the Vulgate and Douay versions of the Bible) the Book of Revelation
apocalypse
American
[uh-pok-uh-lips]
/ əˈpɒk ə lɪps /
noun
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apocalypses
plural
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a prophecy or revelation, especially regarding a final cataclysmic battle between good and evil.
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the apocalypse, in some belief systems, a final cataclysmic battle of this kind, in which evil is defeated and the present age brought to a close.
According to traditional evangelical teaching, the apocalypse will begin with a time of persecution.
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the apocalypse, the end of civilization; the complete destruction or collapse of the world as we know it (sometimes used facetiously).
On both ends of the political spectrum, visions of the apocalypse and predictions of doom abound.
We thought this recession might be the apocalypse, and sales would go down to 1 percent.
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any universal or widespread destruction or disaster.
If humanity is to avoid a nuclear apocalypse, a whole new level of international cooperation is urgently required.
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Apocalypse. Revelation.
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any piece of literature belonging to a genre of Jewish or Christian writings that appeared from about 200 b.c. to the late Middle Ages and were assumed to reveal God’s ultimate purpose.
apocalypse
1
British
/ əˈpɒkəlɪps /
noun
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a prophetic disclosure or revelation
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an event of great importance, violence, etc, like the events described in the Apocalypse
Apocalypse
2
British
/ əˈpɒkəlɪps /
noun
Apocalypse
Cultural
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An “apocalypse” is a final catastrophe.
The Apocalypse is supposed to come at the end of the world or of time.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of apocalypse
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Late Latin apocalypsis, from Greek apokálypsis “revelation,” from apokalýp(tein) “to uncover, reveal” (from apo- apo- + kalýptein “to cover, conceal”; cf. eucalyptus) + -sis -sis
Explanation
Apocalypse is a word that means "the end of the world" — or something so destructive it seems like the world has ended, like the event of a major earthquake. The apocalypse is the total destruction of the world, as prophesied in the Biblical book of Revelation. Apocalypse can be used to describe utter destruction caused by war or natural disaster. The nuclear bomb attack on Hiroshima during World War II can be called an apocalypse because the devastation was so severe and so many lives were lost.
Vocabulary lists containing apocalypse
New Kid
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World Religions
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Calamity, Catastrophe, and Crisis: Disaster Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"I can't read instruction manuals, but I've watched YouTube tutorials," he says, generating a growling bass line that sounds like the dawning of the apocalypse.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Her plucky Annie Clay dominates the first episode, “Graceland,” riding out a worldwide apocalypse in Elvis’ mansion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
These odd phenomena convinced ancient cultures that eclipses were signs of the apocalypse -- or messages from the gods.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
The Argentine ranch where tech CEOs plan to ride out the apocalypse.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Maybe the world isn’t going to end, and I’ll spend January 29 waiting for an apocalypse that won’t come.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
Appeared in the June 6, 2026, print edition as 'The Jobs Apocalypse Will Have to Wait'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
This is either the future or the Apocalypse has arrived.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026
His many other roles included a mafia consigliere in The Godfather, a bombastic army officer in Apocalypse Now, and a Texas Ranger-turned-cattle driver in Lonesome Dove.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026
Angel Nail Salon, just 10 minutes from Apocalypse BBQ, offers hair and nail services at a great price point, making it an ideal stop for manicures, pedicures, or even a blowout before a night out.
From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2026
“It’s an incredible gas smell, and you can almost feel the heat from the distance. It’s just unbelievable. It’s like that movie, Apocalypse Now.”
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
The game has no guns, no Marios, no apocalypses.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 13, 2023
They weave climate apocalypses, time travel and virtual reality with Yoruba mythology, Amazonian deforestation and ayahuasca-inspired psychedelic plants.
From New York Times ● Jun. 10, 2023
Burns and his co-showrunner, Dorothy Fortenberry, argue that film and TV have their own version of the same problem: Climate apocalypses create immediate drama and character-level tension.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 17, 2023
And apocalypses tend to force children to grow up faster, rather than slower.
From Salon ● Feb. 10, 2023
These terrors were an integral part of all the Jewish apocalypses.
From The Life of Jesus by Ernest Renan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
