Antichrist

noun

An·​ti·​christ

ˈan-tē-ˌkrīst,

-ˌtī- 

variants or less commonly antichrist or Anti-Christ or anti-Christ

1

: one who denies or opposes Christ

specifically : a great antagonist expected to fill the world with wickedness but to be conquered forever by Christ at his second coming

2

—used in an exaggerated way to describe a person regarded as a powerful and malevolent adversary

—usually used with the

With time this contrast hardened into hacker iconography. Gates was the anti-Christ, a man whose corporate stranglehold on the software industry had left it awash in ugly products.

—Robert Wright

Examples of Antichrist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Not the one about Jesus’ life and death, but the one about his Second Coming, featuring the world’s best foils: the red dragon, i.e., Satan, and the beast from the sea, whom theologians later interpreted as the Antichrist. —Arthur Krystal, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025

No party could build the Kingdom of Heaven, though Rod did allow that Ronald Reagan might be the Antichrist. —Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024

The opening and ending of Antichrist, that’s great cinema. —Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024

The Satanic Temple may seem an obvious case to some, but 17th-century Baptists once called the Pope the Antichrist, as a Commonwealth Magazine piece noted. CEO: C-suite news, analysis, and advice for top decision makers right to your inbox. —Peter Greene, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

The Antichrist is often portrayed as a tyrant who deceives with lies, signs and wonders for the purpose of controlling mankind. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 23 Feb. 2024

That kid, who may or may not still be the Antichrist, is giggling away while every other character on Evil is suffering. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024

Anyone else hear that this is the beginning of seven-year period of tribulation during which Antichrist will rise from Hell and trigger Armageddon? —Jay Martel, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024

In a year that’s already seen two major horror movies competing for the title of Best Virgin Nun to Give Birth to the Antichrist, Miller and co-writer M.A. Fortin have miraculously managed to achieve a kind of original sin. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English anticrist, from Old English & Late Latin; Old English antecrist, from Late Latin Antichristus, from Greek Antichristos, from anti- + Christos Christ

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Antichrist

• overpriced
• poltergeist
• sacrificed
• diced
• feist
• heist
• iced
• lysed
• priced
• sliced
• spiced
• spliced