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apocalyptic

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //əˌpɑkəˈɫɪptɪk// UK //ɐpˌɒkɐlˈɪptɪk// apoc·a·lyp·tic

adj. relating to the end of the world or a time of great disaster. You use it to describe something that feels like the final, most serious event.

adj. relating to the end of the world or a period of extreme catastrophe. Often used metaphorically to describe severe crises.


SIMPLE

The news felt apocalyptic to everyone.

CONTEXTUAL

The apocalyptic storm destroyed the entire coastal town.

COMPLEX

The film's apocalyptic landscape, stripped of all vegetation and life, served as a stark warning about unchecked industrial pollution.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from Latin apocalypticus, from Ancient Greek ἀποκαλυπτικός (apokaluptikós, “revelatory”), from ἀποκάλυψις (apokálupsis, “revelation”), from ἀποκαλύπτω (apokalúptō, “I reveal, uncover”).

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