Armageddon
Americannoun
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(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.
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the last and completely destructive battle.
The arms race can lead to Armageddon.
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any great and crucial conflict.
noun
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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)
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a catastrophic and extremely destructive conflict, esp World War I viewed as this
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Figuratively, “Armageddon” is any great battle or destructive confrontation.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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”; see Megiddo ( def. )
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.
Meek, a 10-year-old Black girl, is grappling with her fears of nuclear Armageddon as more prosaic domestic concerns kick into high gear.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
The threat hasn’t come from Armageddon, but from friction that resembles a suburban homeowners’ association battle.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
Yet with this Armageddon idea in mind, Gundlach said he asked his Treasury desk to analyze all the maturities in many of their funds.
From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026
The intervening episode, Day of Armageddon, was found in 2004 by a former BBC engineer, meaning fans now have the first three instalments of The Daleks' Master Plan arc.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
“I still think a ballet would be perfect, you know, while Armageddon is going on.”
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
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.
