apocalyptic

adjective

apoc·​a·​lyp·​tic ə-ˌpä-kə-ˈlip-tik 

variants or less commonly apocalyptical

ə-ˌpä-kə-ˈlip-ti-kəl 

1

: of, relating to, or resembling an apocalypse

apocalyptic events

2

: forecasting the ultimate destiny of the world : prophetic

apocalyptic warnings

3

: foreboding imminent disaster or final doom : terrible

apocalyptic signs of the coming end-times

4

: wildly unrestrained : grandiose

5

: ultimately decisive : climactic

an apocalyptic battle

apocalyptically

ə-ˌpä-kə-ˈlip-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• climactic
• pivotal
• decisive
• climacteric
• highest
• crucial

Examples of apocalyptic in a Sentence

No one listened to her apocalyptic predictions.

a less apocalyptic view of the future

the apocalyptic destruction of the world

Recent Examples on the Web

Contrastingly, using generative AI to avoid destroying a real building for use in a fictional apocalyptic drama is more understandable. —Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 18 July 2025

Not fixated on an apocalyptic fantasy, but on the flourishing of real human lives here and now. —MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025

As apocalyptic warnings for the job-killing potential of AI mount, here comes a test for Wall Street. —Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 1 July 2025

Born into the cult, Prophet draws comparisons between the group’s apocalyptic dogma (braced for a Soviet nuclear strike, the church built extensive Montana bomb shelters in the early 1990s), and Christian Nationalism, QAnon and the MAGA movement. —R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin apocalypticus, derivative of apocalypsis apocalypse, by analogy with pairs such as ellīpsis ellipsis : ellīpticus elliptic

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for apocalyptic

• cryptic
• diptych
• styptic
• triptych
• tryptic
• ecliptic
• elliptic