Armageddon

[ahr-muh-ged-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.

Armageddon

/ 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

Armageddon

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.”

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Armageddon¹

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. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of Armageddon¹

C19: from Late Latin Armagedōn, from Greek, from Hebrew har megiddōn, mountain district of Megiddo, in N Palestine, site of various battles in the Old Testament

Example Sentences

Democrats are staring down a gerrymandering Armageddon, and don’t have a lot of good answers.

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Paris was felled by a massive meteor in “Armageddon.”

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“I just remember ‘Armageddon,’ there was a lot of stuff of us being in the space suits and being on the asteroid,” he explained.

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Even if hostilities in the Middle East die down, the excitement for Armageddon among his most loyal followers may not dissipate quickly.

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That morning, Monzo said he had felt the onset of "something like Armageddon" and he believed "the world was collapsing".

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Related Words

• annihilation 
• cataclysm 
• catastrophe 
• devastation