APOCALYPTIC Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

apocalyptic

adjective

ə-ˌpä-kə-ˈlip-tik

variants also apocalyptical

Definition of apocalyptic

as in climactic

of, relating to, or being a major turning point the apocalyptic Battle of Stalingrad, which led to the ultimate defeat of Nazi Germany

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of apocalyptic His apocalyptic sermons taught that his followers and their children should starve themselves to death to get into heaven before the end of the world, per Reuters. — Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2026 The filmmaker made his fiction debut in 2024 with The End, a post-apocalyptic musical thriller starring Tilda Swinton, Michael Shannon, and George MacKay. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026 In the new apocalyptic Swedish comedy The Storm, Filip invites his closest friends to his new mountain estate for his 45th birthday celebration. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026 For all the apocalyptic overtones in the film, Gibney doesn’t want audiences to come away feeling hopeless. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for apocalyptic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for apocalyptic

Adjective

At the climactic moment when Odysseus returns, Penelope wears a blue dress that serves as her armor.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 1 Nov. 2026
While not a horror film, per se, Spielberg liberally employs the language of the genre, particularly in this climactic moment.

— Vulture Editors, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of climactic

Adjective

Key Takeaways These artificial channels are up to five times more selective for lithium, offering a simpler way to extract the critical battery material.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
Seeking to acquire as wide a tent of support as possible, Student List purposefully left its position on most critical issues outside of corruption vague and noncommittal.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of critical

Adjective

Most state lawmakers understand this, but some pivotal decisions are being made by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

— Max Harden, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
Show more Days before Tuesday’s pivotal Israeli election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shocked his country by offering a bleak economic forecast that critics said could make Israel more like Iran, Russia and North Korea.

— New York Times, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of pivotal

Adjective

The decisive Game 7 will be played at Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday night as each team seeks its first WNBA championship.

— Charles Odum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
That means party switchers could be a decisive voting block in Tuesday’s statewide races.

— Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of decisive

Adjective

Keeping high-ethylene producers away from climacteric fruits can keep them from ripening too quickly.

— Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 15 July 2025
For this reader, roughly the same age as Sam Raymond, there is uncommon pleasure in the paradoxes of this climacteric tale.

— Claire Messud, Harper's Magazine, 22 June 2021

Definition of climacteric

Adjective

It was approved by voters into the county charter in 2004 in an effort to preserve the area’s rural character and prevent high-density sprawl from stretching toward the Brevard County line.

— Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
Ben’s view About 32 million Americans take GLP-1s, a higher number than there are American Jews and Muslims combined.

— Ben Smith, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of high

Adjective

What enters a watershed upstream can affect communities, ecosystems, wildlife and cultural resources downstream — including resources within our ancestral homelands.

— Dana Adkins, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
The watershed council commissioned a study, published in 2017 by Grand Valley State University, to evaluate the economic impact of the Huron River.

— CBS News, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of watershed

Browse Nearby Words

apocalypses

apocalyptic

apocryphal

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“Apocalyptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apocalyptic. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of apocalyptic

adjective

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