apocalyptic

adjective

ə-ˌpä-kə-ˈlip-tik How to pronounce apocalyptic (audio)
variants also apocalyptical
Definition of apocalypticnext
as in climactic
of, relating to, or being a major turning point the apocalyptic Battle of Stalingrad, which led to the ultimate defeat of Nazi Germany

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 apocalyptic The book’s post-apocalyptic setting ennobles its meditations on selfhood and finitude; the narrator’s search for perpetuity is lent an unshakable gravity by her circumstances. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 Goldberg, his fellow Canadian, co-directed with him the weirdly uneven apocalyptic comedy bravely titled This Is the End, which proved to be neither a hit nor the end. — Peter Bart, Deadline, 30 July 2026 As famine, war, pestilence and death galloped through, religious thought had been taking on an apocalyptic and self-abnegatory fervor. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026 Her Maggie and Morgan’s Negan aren’t simply two survivors adrift in the Walking Dead’s post-apocalyptic hellscape, trying to scrape a meager existence together. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for apocalyptic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apocalyptic
  1. climactic
  2. critical
  3. pivotal
  4. decisive
  5. climacteric
  6. high
  7. watershed
Adjective
  • Every other entry either dwells in its characters’ filth throughout or reveals a new level of depravity as the climactic joke.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Her tearful, climactic phone call with Heath Ledger's character is absolutely devastating.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of climactic
Adjective
  • Cyberattacks against critical systems often leave defenders searching for clues outside the machine.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Zawiya is home to critical energy infrastructure, including Libya’s largest oil refinery, an export terminal and a power plant.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of critical
Adjective
  • Young adult dramas have always been pivotal to Netflix’s programming.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • For one of the men in particular, the type of hustling, defiant gay life that John Rechy describes in his nonfiction book The Sexual Outlaw is pivotal.
    — Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of pivotal
Adjective
  • The 5th District saw more than double the amount of votes cast in its Congressional primary than in the 4th, and the gap in support between candidates was much more decisive.
    — Angela Eichhorst, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Stern’s decisive response to the Malice at the Palace – the suspensions of the players as well as the punishments meted out to the fans – sent a clear message that such behavior would not be tolerated.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of decisive
Adjective
  • Keeping high-ethylene producers away from climacteric fruits can keep them from ripening too quickly.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 15 July 2025
  • For this reader, roughly the same age as Sam Raymond, there is uncommon pleasure in the paradoxes of this climacteric tale.
    — Claire Messud, Harper's Magazine, 22 June 2021
Definition of climacteric
Adjective
  • Thailand’s high rate of gun ownership is second only to Pakistan in Asia, and far surpasses its Southeast Asian neighbors.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The state is announcing an average increase of almost 30% for those already paying the highest rates.
    — John Ramos, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of high
Adjective
  • This is a watershed moment for generative AI and large language models (LLMs).
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The unanimous ruling was seen by supporters of self-identification as a watershed moment, pushing India ahead of much of South Asia on transgender rights.
    — Aakash Hassan, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026
Definition of watershed

Browse Nearby Words

apocalypses
apocalyptic
apocryphal
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Cite this Entry

“Apocalyptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apocalyptic. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of apocalyptic for Spanish Speakers

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