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

• climacteric
• climactic

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

Perhaps, as has been suggested, our A.I. worries will years from now turn out to have been just another passing apocalyptic fancy, on the order of Y2K. —Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023

Music that bleeds with the apocalyptic collisions of bounce beat-era go-go and the lyrical belligerence of drill. —Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 17 Nov. 2023

As a child, my dreams of Los Angeles were often apocalyptic. —Aisha Sabatini Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023

Though devastated by apocalyptic floods in 2022, this northeastern corner of New South Wales is making a comeback. —Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2023

Um Tae-hwa's dystopian drama is set just after an apocalyptic earthquake in a Seoul apartment complex, which the residents turn into a fortress. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Nov. 2023

Bloomberg reported Ron DeSantis’ campaign released fake images of his rival Donald Trump posing with Anthony Fauci in June and that the Republican National Committee promoted a faked video of an apocalyptic US blaming the Biden administration. —Emilia David, The Verge, 8 Nov. 2023

However, questions remained about just how long the sun was blocked and how a prolonged period of darkness caused apocalyptic damage and shaped a new age of evolution on Earth. —Michael Lee, Fox News, 4 Nov. 2023

Godzilla is thus an apocalyptic figure, in the strictest sense of the word: a thing of unmasking, of revelation. —Asher Elbein, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2023

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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