doom

American  

[doom] / dum /

noun

1. fate or destiny, especially adverse fate; unavoidable ill fortune.

   In exile and poverty, he met his doom.

2. ruin; death.

   to fall to one's doom.

3. a judgment, decision, or sentence, especially an unfavorable one.

   The judge pronounced the defendant's doom.

   Synonyms:

   fate, ruination, downfall, destruction

4. the Last Judgment, at the end of the world.

5. Obsolete. a statute, enactment, or legal judgment.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to destine, especially to an adverse fate.

   Synonyms:

   predestine, foreordain

2. to pronounce judgment against; condemn.

3. to ordain or fix as a sentence or fate.

doom British  

/ duːm /

noun

1. death or a terrible fate

2. a judgment or decision

3. (sometimes capital) another term for the Last Judgment

---

verb

1. (tr) to destine or condemn to death or a terrible fate

Related Words

See fate.

Other Word Forms

• doomy adjective
• predoom verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of doom

First recorded before 900; Middle English dome, dōm, Old English dōm “judgment, law”; cognate with Old Norse dōmr, “judgment, sentence, court,” Gothic dōms “sentence, fame,” all from Germanic dômaz “what has been set,” from dôn “to set, place, do ¹ ( def. ) ”; compare Greek thémis “law” (i.e., “what has been set, laid down”); deem

Explanation

Doom is death, destruction, the end of the world, the big goodbye. It can also be a verb — if a man twirling a mustache ties you to the railroad tracks, he dooms you to certain death! Doctor Doom is a comic book villain you do not want to mess with. He’s the doctor of death! If you feel that the world is terrible, you’re all doom and gloom. If someone dies, she meets her doom. People usually talk about doom as a type of fate — doom isn't an accident. When doom is a verb, watch out — being slack dooms careers and lies doom relationships. Stay away from all forms of doom.

Example Sentences

Roland added that the bond market isn’t necessarily flashing signs of impending doom in private credit either.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

No, the picture is not entirely doom and gloom — the push for renewable energy is breaking all kinds of records, too, reaching roughly 50% of global energy capacity last year.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

What died was the market for doom scenarios.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

In response, Swinney accused them of pedalling a "doom loop of despair".

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Maybe it was her doom, always to get back on Route 1.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

Related Words

• calamity
• cataclysm
• catastrophe
• disaster
• downfall