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”; see Megiddo ( def. )

Example Sentences

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

And one resident likened the outage in January - which SEW blamed on Storm Goretti and power cuts - to "Armageddon".

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

The press is warning of nuclear Armageddon after an arms-control treaty between Russia and the United States expired this week.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

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

From Salon • Dec. 7, 2025

The Jehovah’s Witnesses took the Bible as the sole rule of faith and believed in a coming Armageddon between good and evil.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• annihilation
• cataclysm
• catastrophe
• devastation