apocalyptic

adjective

apoc·​a·​lyp·​tic ə-ˌpä-kə-ˈlip-tik 

variants or less commonly apocalyptical

ə-ˌpä-kə-ˈlip-ti-kəl 

1

: of, relating to, or resembling an apocalypse

apocalyptic events

2

: forecasting the ultimate destiny of the world : prophetic

apocalyptic warnings

3

: foreboding imminent disaster or final doom : terrible

apocalyptic signs of the coming end-times

4

: wildly unrestrained : grandiose

5

: ultimately decisive : climactic

an apocalyptic battle

apocalyptically

ə-ˌpä-kə-ˈlip-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• climacteric
• climactic

Examples of apocalyptic in a Sentence

No one listened to her apocalyptic predictions.

a less apocalyptic view of the future

the apocalyptic destruction of the world

Recent Examples on the Web

The seventy-seventh and latest installment, which dropped on November 19th, is the length of a network sitcom and depicts an apocalyptic global war. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024

McCarthy’s harrowing post apocalyptic tale of a boy and his father making their way through a wasteland populated by the degraded remains of human civilization is brilliantly adapted by Larcenet. —Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

Barry builds a believable sci-fi world—even with its pseudo-fantastical powers—out of the most familiar and banal building blocks, taking the stakes of linguistic misuse to apocalyptic heights. —Tajja Isen, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2024

The dialog-free drama follows a big-eyed cat caught in an apocalyptic flood who teams up with a geographically diverse pack of critters to escape. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin apocalypticus, derivative of apocalypsis apocalypse, by analogy with pairs such as ellīpsis ellipsis : ellīpticus elliptic

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1