1
: very bad events or situations that cannot be avoided
The sailors had a sense/feeling of (impending) doom as the storm approached. [=they sensed or felt that something very bad was going to happen]
The prophets of doom [=people who predict that bad things will happen] say that the Internet will kill off print newspapers.
The papers are filled with stories of gloom and doom.
2
: death or ruin
the story of a mysterious creature who lures travelers to their doom
Prepare to meet your doom. [=die]
The poor economy spelled doom for many small businesses. [=many small businesses would fail because of the poor economy]
dooms; doomed; dooming
: to make (someone or something) certain to fail, suffer, die, etc.
A criminal record will doom your chances of becoming a politician.
—usually used as (be) doomedThe plan was doomed from the start.
The treaty is doomed [=destined] to failure/fail.
If no one rescues us, we are doomed.
a project doomed by the poor/weak economy
The species is doomed to extinction.
Cite this Entry
“Doom.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/doom. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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