doom 1 of 2

Definition of doomnext

doom

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word doom distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of doom are destiny, fate, lot, and portion. While all these words mean "a predetermined state or end," doom distinctly implies a grim or calamitous fate.

if the rebellion fails, his doom is certain

When is destiny a more appropriate choice than doom?

The words destiny and doom can be used in similar contexts, but destiny implies something foreordained and often suggests a great or noble course or end.

the country's destiny to be a model of liberty to the world

When would fate be a good substitute for doom?

While in some cases nearly identical to doom, fate implies an inevitable and usually an adverse outcome.

the fate of the submarine is unknown

How are the words lot and portion related as synonyms of doom?

Both lot and portion imply a distribution by fate or destiny, lot suggesting blind chance.

it was her lot to die childless

In what contexts can portion take the place of doom?

Although the words portion and doom have much in common, portion implies the apportioning of good and evil.

remorse was his daily portion

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of doom
Noun
And exactly what the Avs needed, especially in the second period when one more slipping through would have spelled doom. Troy Renck, Denver Post, 14 May 2026 When cornered by the police, Thelma and Louise decide to drive off a cliff to their doom in Louise’s convertible rather than surrender. Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Verb
The president signed an executive order on March 31 that attempts to change the rules on mail-in voting, and his allies in Congress are endeavoring to reshape elections ahead of the midterms this fall, spending weeks debating a voter-ID bill that is almost certainly doomed. Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026 Once teased for their transness, Little Death is now eternally doomed to the bottom of the lake at Camp Tivoli when not seasonally resurfacing to kill horny teenagers (and, of course, doomed to be reincarnated in endless sequels). Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for doom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doom
Noun
  • Less than two hours after the Supreme Court's ruling was announced, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson released a statement vowing to retry the one-time attorney.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 13 May 2026
  • The ruling meant the tariffs shouldn’t have been imposed and thus were unlawful from the beginning.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • The movies before this one, their destinies were so half-hazard.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 13 May 2026
  • The momentum is with them, even if Milan’s destiny is in their hands.
    James Horncastle, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Noun
  • Joining me to discuss rising production costs, shifts in viewing preferences, and the demise of one of the pillars of late night television is USA TODAY TV Critic Kelly Lawler.
    Dana Taylor, USA Today, 19 May 2026
  • In the series finale, in which every character meets their demise, Keith owns his own security company but is strangely still physically moving cash around in an armored truck when he is gunned down in the year 2029.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 May 2026
Verb
  • Like the nun Beate before her, Susanna seems destined, as punishment for her overwhelming ardor, to be walled into the convent.
    Caroline Lillian Schopp, Artforum, 13 May 2026
  • The Spurs already feel destined for perennial future success because of Wembanyama.
    Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Verb
  • He was sentenced to three years’ probation and fined $200, becoming the only person criminally convicted in connection with the Simpson case.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2026
  • On January 10, 2019, Denise and Mohamed were found guilty of nearly all charges; later that year, they were sentenced to seven years in prison.
    Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Noun
  • Andy Gall today and as a rookie patrolman For Gall, who was just a rookie that September day in 1979, the verdict closed a very big circle.
    Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 14 May 2026
  • Becky Hill reads Alex Murdaugh 2023 guilty verdict In 2023, Murdaugh was convicted of gunning down his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, at the family’s hunting estate in 2021.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • Putting words on the page seems too low stakes to get worked up about, and yet the terror of saying something taboo—or just being boring—feels like a terrible fate to most writers.
    David O’Neill, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
  • Amy Dickham, a professor of wildlife conservation at the University of Oxford, questioned the need to focus on Timmy when many other marine animals suffer similar fates or injuries caused by human activity.
    Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
Noun
  • The music publication Revolver reported in a 2023 article about Cold as Life that the hard rock band continued to perform after its frontman’s death.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
  • Since 2018, authorities had used advanced DNA evidence to link Brashers to the strangulation death of a South Carolina woman in 1990, the 1997 rape of a 14-year-old girl in Tennessee and the shooting of a mother and daughter in Missouri in 1998.
    CBS News, CBS News, 13 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Doom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doom. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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