Ragnarok

American

[rahg-nuh-rok] / ˈrɑg nəˌrɒk /

Also Ragnarök

noun

Scandinavian Mythology.

the destruction of the gods and of all things in a final battle with the evil powers.

Ragnarök British

/ ˈrɑːɡnəˌrɒk /

noun

German equivalent: Götterdämmerung. Norse myth the ultimate destruction of the gods in a cataclysmic battle with evil, out of which a new order will arise

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Ragnarok

1760–70; from Old Norse Ragnarǫk, equivalent to ragna, genitive of regin “gods” + rǫk “fate,” misread by some as Ragnarökkr literally, “twilight of the gods”; cf. Götterdämmerung ( 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.

In 2023, Vampire Survivors, a game made by a tiny British team, beat Sony's big-budget blockbuster God of War: Ragnarok to bag the best game prize.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2025

This year it resulted in a surprise win for 2D monster slayer Vampire Survivors over favourite God of War: Ragnarok.

From BBC • Dec. 14, 2023

He played Odin, the father of the titular character, and also appeared in 2013's Thor: The Dark World and 2017's Thor: Ragnarok.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2023

Matsson, if he believed in those old Norse myths, may have viewed Logan on par with Fenrir, the wolf who kills Odin in Ragnarok.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2023

He had the responsibility more than all the other gods together of postponing as long as possible the day of doom, Ragnarok, when heaven and earth would be destroyed.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023