Götterdämmerung

noun

Göt·​ter·​däm·​mer·​ung ˌgər-tər-ˈde-mə-ˌru̇ŋ 

-ˈda-,

ˌgə-

: a collapse (as of a society or regime) marked by catastrophic violence and disorder

broadly : downfall

the Götterdämmerung of Communism

Synonyms

• comedown
• decline
• dégringolade
• demise
• descent
• down
• downfall
• fall
• flameout

Examples of Götterdämmerung in a Sentence

a film that chronicles the chaotic Götterdämmerung of the Third Reich

Word History

Etymology

German, literally, twilight of the gods, from Götter (plural of Gott god) + Dämmerung twilight

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!