Armageddon

American  

[ahr-muh-ged-n] / ˌɑr məˈgɛd n /

noun

1. (in the Bible) the place where a final battle will be fought between the forces of good and evil: probably so called in reference to the battlefield of Megiddo.

2. the last and completely destructive battle.

   The arms race can lead to Armageddon.

3. any great and crucial conflict.

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Armageddon British  

/ ˌɑːməˈɡɛdən /

noun

1. New Testament the final battle at the end of the world between the forces of good and evil, God against the kings of the earth (Revelation 16:16)

2. a catastrophic and extremely destructive conflict, esp World War I viewed as this

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Armageddon Cultural  

1. In the Book of Revelation, the site of the final and conclusive battle between good and evil, involving “the kings of the Earth and the whole world,” on the “great day of God Almighty.”

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Figuratively, “Armageddon” is any great battle or destructive confrontation.

Etymology

Origin of Armageddon

First recorded in 1580–90; Middle English Hermagedon, Old English Ermagedon, from Late Latin Hermagedōn, Armagedōn, from Greek Harmagedṓn, from Hebrew har măgiddō (măgiddōn) “mountain of Megiddo”; Megiddo ( def. )

Example Sentences

Pop’s princess and her crew don’t just await Armageddon; they welcome it.

From Salon

I would have leaped to collaborate with her on any project, but fortunately nuclear Armageddon is also a preoccupation of mine.

From Los Angeles Times

Rather than obsess about Armageddon, I submerged myself in routine.

From Salon

The Greenbrier also became the place where the government would keep the US Congress safe in the event of a nuclear Armageddon.

From Literature

The trade makes them feel good, as they reason they have protected their unrealized gains—even though such options are often priced in ways that require Armageddon to occur for them to prove profitable.

From Barron's

Related Words

• annihilation
• cataclysm
• catastrophe
• devastation