apocalyptic

[ uh-pok-uh-lip-tik ]

/ əˌpɒk əˈlɪp tɪk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR apocalyptic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of or like an apocalypse; affording a revelation or prophecy.

pertaining to the Apocalypse or biblical book of Revelation.

predicting or presaging imminent disaster and total or universal destruction: the apocalyptic vision of some contemporary writers.

Nearby words

Also a·poc·a·lyp·ti·cal.

Origin of apocalyptic

1620–30; < Late Greek apokalýptikos, equivalent to apokalýpt(ein) to uncover, disclose (see apocalypse) + -ikos -ic

Related formsa·poc·a·lyp·ti·cal·ly, adverbpost·a·poc·a·lyp·tic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for apocalyptic

And it merely delayed the apocalyptic maelstrom that followed rather than preventing it.
How WWI Produced the Holocaust|J.P. O’Malley|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At DoD he ran around with his hair practically on fire denouncing cuts to the defense budget in out-sized, apocalyptic terms.
Leon Panetta Is What’s Wrong With D.C.|Michael Cohen|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And I also have lots of apocalyptic dreams, including warfare.
Carrie Coon on ‘The Leftovers,’ That Wild Finale, Her Apocalyptic Visions, and ‘Gone Girl’|Marlow Stern|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Until, of course, one of them diverges into an apocalyptic battle for species dominance.
Viral Video of the Day: Boyhood of the Planet of the Apes|Alex Chancey|July 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But as you start building an apocalyptic bunker, don't forget who's to blame for this increasingly dangerous behavior.
How Climate Change Is Causing Chaos in the Animal Kingdom|Nina Strochlic|January 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We now enter upon the second division of the Book of Daniel—the apocalyptic.
The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Daniel|F. W. Farrar
He flew; in the antechamber stood the angel who broke the six apocalyptic seals,—Rabette.
Titan: A Romance v. 1 (of 2)|Jean Paul Friedrich Richter
In the East, on the contrary, the apocalyptic expectations were immediately weakened by the Montanist crisis.
History of Dogma, Volume 2 (of 7)|Adolph Harnack
This succession of faithful, holy, devoted men is worthy of a place in Apocalyptic vision.
The Revelation Explained|F. Smith
It is a striking feature of these apocalyptic visions, which has been too much missed by commentators.
The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Revelation|William Milligan

British Dictionary definitions for apocalyptic

apocalyptic

/ (əˌpɒkəˈlɪptɪk) /

adjective

outstanding in revelation, prophecy, or significance

of or like an apocalypse

Derived Formsapocalyptically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for apocalyptic

apocalyptic

adj.

1660s, "pertaining to the 'Revelation of St. John' in the New Testament," from Greek apokalyptikos, from apokalyptein (see apocalypse). Meaning "pertaining to the imminent end of the world" evolved by 1880s.

apocalyptic

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of apocalyptic

Examples from the Web for apocalyptic

apocalyptic

adjective

apocalyptic