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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 As our journey continues, the road twists through apocalyptic terrain until, out of nowhere, life reappears. — Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 Heller’s 2012 post-apocalyptic novel centers on Hig, a pilot who risks everything in the hope of finding human connection. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026 Indeed, the private markets (and especially PE) are quite adept at kicking the can down the road, so this all may never reach an apocalyptic fever pitch. — Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 Perhaps most viscerally, given the ever-present specter of nuclear annihilation during the Cold War, Capps was appalled by Falwell’s apocalyptic rhetoric and cavalier posture toward global destruction. — Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for apocalyptic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for apocalyptic

Adjective

Their climactic scenes near the end, once all the obstacles have been removed, are lovely — and not just because Austen’s prose in their outcome is so indestructible.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026
In its concluding episodes, the HBO juggernaut thrust an unearned heel turn on its female lead, rendered its climactic battle so dark viewers couldn’t see it, and ended over 70 hours of buildup with a rando on the Iron Throne.

— Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of climactic

Adjective

That makes the vehicle’s capacitors, batteries, and power electronics critical.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that Ukraine is ready to halt its strikes on Russian territory if allies can secure a genuine Russian commitment not to hit Ukraine's critical infrastructure.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of critical

Adjective

La Bola Negra was also shot on 35mm, and brought in starpower via small but pivotal roles for Close and Cruz.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
Cleveland’s late-innings hero had supplied another walk-off, converting a two-out, ninth-inning deficit into a 7-6 win, the most pivotal victory of the season.

— Zack Meisel, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of pivotal

Adjective

But both countries are vying for a decisive advantage on AI, with Trump warning that any efforts to regulate the technology would help China.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
These artists are working in very different places and from very different positions, but their images all seem to understand that a ‘decisive moment’ can happen under pressure.

— PhotoVogue, Vogue, 17 Sep. 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

Fed policymakers unanimously supported the rate hike, compared with late July when the central bank kept rates steady and three officials dissented in favor of higher rates.

— DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFFFROM WIRE REPORTS, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
Set the Scene While Belden House is set back some from the busy village center, this is very much a high-street, center-of-town hotel.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of high

Adjective

These will show whether the vote was a watershed moment in the demise of an anti-fascist consensus dating back to World War II, or the latest in a series of elections worldwide in which frustrated voters simply cast out incumbents.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
Regulators and online safety advocates called it a watershed moment, and both Meta and state attorneys general called on TikTok and YouTube to make similar changes.

— Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of watershed

Browse Nearby Words

apocalypses

apocalyptic

apocryphal

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Apocalyptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apocalyptic. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of apocalyptic

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nemesis

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes