Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Relating to or resembling an apocalypse: Describes something connected to a prophetic revelation, particularly a catastrophic event of immense scale or the end of the world.
   • Predicting or involving widespread devastation and ultimate doom: Portrays events, visions, or rhetoric that foretell or depict total and final destruction.

Usage and Examples

• Adjective:
  • The movie's apocalyptic scenes showed cities in ruins. (The film's imagery depicted destruction on a world-ending scale.)
  • She had an apocalyptic vision of the future. (Her prophetic view of the future involved ultimate catastrophe.)
  • The politician's speech was filled with apocalyptic warnings about climate change. (The speech used language predicting severe, world-altering consequences.)

Advanced Usage

• "apocalyptic literature": A genre of writing that uses symbolic imagery to reveal divine truths, often about the end times or a new age.
  • The Book of Revelation is a key text in apocalyptic literature.
• "apocalyptic tone": A manner of speaking or writing that is intensely dramatic and portends imminent disaster.
  • The scientist adopted an apocalyptic tone to emphasize the urgency of the crisis.

Variants and Related Words

• Apocalyptical (adj): A less common variant with the same meaning as 'apocalyptic'.
• Apocalypse (n): The event of catastrophic destruction or the end of the world itself.
  • Many myths speak of a coming apocalypse.
• Apocalyptically (adv): In a manner that predicts or resembles an apocalypse.
  • He spoke apocalyptically about the economic collapse.

Synonyms

• Cataclysmic: Relating to a violent and sudden natural event causing great change.
• Doomsday: Associated with the final day of the world's existence.
• Prophetic: Foretelling future events, often with a sense of divine inspiration.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "apocalyptic event": A specific incident of massive, world-changing destruction.
  • The impact of the asteroid would be an apocalyptic event.
• "sound apocalyptic": To describe language or predictions as being excessively dire or focused on doom.
  • I don't mean to sound apocalyptic, but the data is very concerning.

Adjective

1. of or relating to an apocalypse
2. prophetic of devastation or ultimate doom