# ragnarok

CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ragnarok
Updated: 2026-10-16

## Definition

the end of the world in old Norse myths, when the gods fight giants in one last great battle. People also use it to mean a huge disaster that ends everything.

For teachers: the prophesied final battle in Norse mythology in which the gods and their enemies destroy one another, ending the old world and allowing a new one to begin. By extension, any catastrophic final conflict or collapse.

## Examples

- In Norse myths, Ragnarok ends the world of the gods.
- The class learns how Ragnarok begins with a long winter and ends with a new world rising from the sea.
- Scholars read Ragnarok not only as destruction but as renewal, a cycle in which fire and flood clear the way for surviving gods to rebuild.

## Synonyms

Apocalypse, Armageddon, doomsday

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.