Synonyms of apocalyptic

apocalyptic

adjective

ə-ˌpä-kə-ˈlip-tik 

variants also apocalyptical

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

• climactic
• critical
• highest
• pivotal
• decisive
• climacteric
• high
• watershed
• crucial
• culminating
• epochal
• life-and-death
• fateful
• apical
• momentous
• earthshaking
• crowning
• meridian
• crossover
• crestal
• apogean
• vital
• payoff
• make-or-break
• cataclysmal
• deciding
• go-no-go

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unimportant
• trivial
• insignificant
• anticlimactic
• inconsequential
• indecisive
• noncritical

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of apocalyptic

With apocalyptic floods, wildfires and other events becoming more common, that force is growing and transforming devastation and heartache into action. — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 28 Oct. 2026

Against a largely black palette, flashes of alarm red and bubblegum pink heightened the collection’s apocalyptic ethos. — Livia Caligor, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026

Mythical beings hover over apocalyptic scenes crowded with tiny, ghostly figures, which seem to emerge from the paint. — Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026

World Quest and Save My Demonic World have run for over a decade, but they’re built on older tech that the developers say can’t be updated to patch the apocalyptic PHP exploit disclosed this week. — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 23 Oct. 2026