apocalypse
noun
apoc·a·lypse
ə-ˈpä-kə-ˌlips 
plural apocalypses
1
a
: one of the Jewish and Christian writings of 200 b.c. to a.d. 150 marked by pseudonymity, symbolic imagery, and the expectation of an imminent cosmic cataclysm in which God destroys the ruling powers of evil and raises the righteous to life in a messianic kingdom
b
capitalized
: revelation sense 3
2
a
: something viewed as a prophetic revelation
b
3
a
: a large, disastrous fire : inferno
Most foresters agree that small, "prescribed" burns, carefully controlled, are essential to prevent the larger apocalypse.—
Lance Morrow
Lance Morrow
b
: a great disaster
an environmental apocalypse
Examples of apocalypse in a Sentence
His book tells of an environmental apocalypse.
the fear that the next global pandemic could be an apocalypse of biblical proportions
Recent Examples on the Web
Prosecutors alleged Vallow Daybell and her husband, Chad Daybell, believed an apocalypse was imminent and people around them were evil zombies.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 25 July 2025
While Bowie envisioned an Earth careening toward apocalypse in a flamboyant, theatrical cry, Drake’s five leaves are quieter, lonelier — more like the end of a season than the end of a world.
—arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
From Hollywood's Golden Age and the '70s catastrophe obsession to today, these films have unearthed every pitiless corner of nature's wrath, from towering tsunamis and viral pandemics to all-out apocalypses and more.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 3 July 2025
What if a huge menacing moon hovered in the skybox, threatening an apocalypse in three days’ time?
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for apocalypse
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Christopher Cann, USA Today, 25 July 2025
While Bowie envisioned an Earth careening toward apocalypse in a flamboyant, theatrical cry, Drake’s five leaves are quieter, lonelier — more like the end of a season than the end of a world.
—arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
From Hollywood's Golden Age and the '70s catastrophe obsession to today, these films have unearthed every pitiless corner of nature's wrath, from towering tsunamis and viral pandemics to all-out apocalypses and more.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 3 July 2025
What if a huge menacing moon hovered in the skybox, threatening an apocalypse in three days’ time?
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for apocalypse
Cite this Entry
“Apocalypse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apocalypse. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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