apocalypse

plural apocalypses

1. A revealing, especially a prophecy of, or the unfolding of, supernatural events.First known use 14th c.

   The early development of Perl 6 was punctuated by a series of apocalypses by Larry Wall.

   Synonyms: revelation

2. A huge disaster; a cataclysmic event; destruction or ruin of large scope and scale.First known use 19th c.

   A nuclear apocalypse would have been possible if tensions went out of control during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

   4 more examples

   Near-synonyms: cataclysm, catastrophe, holocaust; armageddon, doomsday, end times, eschaton, judgement day, judgment day

   Man has forgotten the soul and thus doomed his civilization to apocalypse.

   1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 180

   The Spanish mission in America soon became not so much crusade as apocalypse.

   2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 699

   In 2016, President Barack Obama told his staff that Donald Trump’s election victory was “not the apocalypse”. By any definition, he was correct. But understood in the original sense of the Greek word apokálypsis, meaning “unveiling”, Obama could not give the same reassurance in 2025.

   2025 January 10, Peter Thiel, quoting Barack Obama, “A time for truth and reconciliation”, in Financial Times, archived from the original on 10 Jan 2025

   Synonyms: cataclysm, catastrophe, holocaust, armageddon, doomsday, end times, eschaton, judgement day

3. ChristianityThe unveiling of events prophesied in the Revelation; the second coming and the end of life on Earth; global destruction.First known use 19th c.

   Near-synonym: Ragnarok

   1 more example

   Meronyms: Final Judgment, Judgment Day, judgement day, judgment day

   Synonyms: armageddon, doomsday, end times, eschaton, Ragnarok

4. ChristianityThe Book of Revelation.

   Synonyms: Revelation

present singular third person apocalypses · participle present apocalypsing · participle past apocalypsed · past apocalypsed

1. transitiveuncommonChristianityTo reveal.

   We chewed breaded blasphemy in our pews, / Then gulped Welch’s grape juice, bile, and venom, / While alabaster Christ carped like a cop, / His lips apocalypsing our asses.

   2001, George Elliott Clarke, Blue, Kentville, N.S.: Gaspereau Press, published 2011, →ISBN, page 25

   5 more examples

   The transitory sufferings of the present time can never be put in competition with the glory which shall be apocalypsed in us; for even the creation itself, which shall not possess the glory, shall nevertheless derive from them such real solid benefit, such true freedom from real ills, that she also is desirous of our apocalypse.

   1832 March 17, Joseph D’Arcy Sirr, “Appendix”, in The First Resurrection Considered in a Series of Letters: […], Philadelphia, Pa.: Orrin Rogers, […] E. G. Dorsey, […], published 1841, →OCLC, page 155

   For the information of the mere English reader we may remark that apocalupsis is derived from a verb which signifies “to uncover, bring to light what was hidden.” […] Now, when this shall be the order of the day, the nations will have been apocalypsed by him who will be “the glory of Israel.” […] Such is, and such will continue to be, the spiritual condition of the world until then. But when they have been apocalypsed, or illuminated, the change will be glorious. […] Having spoken peace to the nations, and being established in his glory, the day of Jehovah’s exaltation will have been apocalypsed, or revealed—that day in which, it is testified, “Jehovah alone shall be exalted”—Isaiah ii. 10, 11, 16, 17.

   1869, John Thomas, “Who are the Servants of God”, in Eureka: An Exposition of the Apocalypse, in Harmony with “The Things of the Kingdom of the Deity, and the Name of Jesus Anointed”, 2nd edition, volume I, West Hoboken, N.J.: […] [T]he author, →OCLC, chapter I (The source from which the Apocalypse emanated; […]), section I, pages 24 and 26

   “And that man of sin be revealed—apocalypsed—the son of perdition; the opposing one who exalts himself against all that is called God.” […] “And then shall be apocalypsed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth, and will paralyse with the forth-shining of His arrival.[…]”

   1895, J[ohn] S[axton] Mabie, “Prophetic Convention. […] The Man of Sin: A Personal Antichrist.—II.”, in R[obert] McKilliam, editor, The Morning Star: […], London: Alfred Holness, […]; Glasgow: R[obert] L[ightbody] Allan & Son, […], →OCLC, page 43, column 2

   Jesus said to Peter, when he first realized the true character of the Messiah, “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [ἀποκάλυψε] it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven [hath apocalypsed it unto thee].” […] Mind can know nothing by logical inference concerning God, the Trinity, incarnation, immortality, resurrection, and truths, of this class, for they lie beyond the logical powers of the natural man and, if known, must be apocalypsed.

   1896 September, A. J. Nelson, “Art[icle] III.—Paul’s Psychology.”, in William V[alentine] Kelley, editor, The Methodist Review. […], volume LXXVIII (XII, Fifth Series), number 5 (421 overall), New York, N.Y.: Eaton & Mains; Cincinnati, Oh.: Curts & Jennings, →ISSN, →OCLC, pages 725–726

   Still and all, there’s hope, crushed underfoot but radical, that some unlikely spring the happenforce that heals may ply its therapy not only in the wintered world but in each wounded and degraded heart, apocalypsing us into whatever paradise is possible, all obscenity absolved, when only lovers in their greening time will come wandering over the hill.

   2010, Richard Carlile, “A Plainsong for All Seasons”, in The Lives of Our Time: Six Sequences, Tarbert, Argyll: Triquetra Press, →ISBN, section III, page 91

2. informalintransitiverareTo dwell on a huge disaster one expects to take place.

   This doesn’t mean that you pretend the tornado in Kansas didn’t happen. Perhaps it spurs you to think about emergency preparedness. But you’ll be planning proactively, in the present, not worrying or apocalypsing.

   2010, Teresa Griffith, “Perspective of Time”, in Love Your Skeletons, [Morrisville, N.C.]: [Lulu.com], published January 2012 (3rd printing), →ISBN, part 3 (Care and Maintenance of Your Skeletons), pages 200–201

   3 more examples

   “To Las Vegas? When was that?” “About four months before she died. When he was twenty-one. Just before he started in on all that preaching and apocalypsing business. […] Had him a vision, he said, and God told him to change his name to Sam-u-el Mor-de-cai. And ever since then he’s been apocalypsing and doing all them cult things you read about in the newspaper.”

   1995, Mary Willis Walker, chapter 6, in Under the Beetle’s Cellar (Molly Cates; 2), New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, →ISBN, page 73

   In one respect only was Donald Trump indebted to the conservative movement that Ronald Reagan founded: it bequeathed to him an angry, fearful base, which he was even more adept at manipulating than movement leaders had been. He destroyed his Republican adversaries by out-apocalypsing them.

   2017, Mark Lilla, “Anti-Politics”, in The Once and Future Liberal: After Identity Politics, New York, N.Y.: Harper, →ISBN, page 53

   And it was definitely a white American fear, of losing my status, my power. The fear manifested in me as an amorphous foreboding, a discomfort with being subject to the planet and its miracles the same as everyone else was. […] How would my fear change if I stopped apocalypsing and tried to embody this moment in collapse?

   2024, Manjula Martin, “Smoke”, in The Last Fire Season: A Personal and Pyronatural History, New York, N.Y.: Pantheon Books, →ISBN, page 166

3. ambitransitiveinformalrareTo bring about (a huge disaster).

   “Robots still win,” I said. “What about if the robots don’t start…apocalypsing, until after half of humanity is turned?” “Robots still win,” I said, “easy.”

   2019, Thomas Harper, chapter 13, in Incarnate: Essence, →ISBN, page 151

   2 more examples

   The fourth age of this Lunaeon is alive with povertous homage / For those whom^([sic]) chew upon the Rockking’s wealth / And worship his unlovable stone / Apocalypsing an end to this ever-there-be-day / Wear a cloak of benightly screaming / Banshees, eager to roam whence / Windrom releases their pent rage

   2011, D.j.W., “REALMWOL”, in The Rockking (Realmwol; instalment 4, series 2), [Morrisville, N.C.]: Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 153

   ROBOT APOCALYPSE / Of all the apocalypses, this is my favorite. So much better than the zombie apocalypse, […] Instead of having some drooling, extremely gross-looking shuffling moron take a bite out of me and turn me into a drooling moron ([…]), I imagine C-3PO politely harvesting my organs for some terribly important reason that just happens to escape him at the moment. But really, it’s a Sophie’s choice, and I would actually prefer not to be apocalypsed on in the first place.

   2018, Andy McElfresh, “Anything to that Sci-Fi Trope?”, in The Edumacation Book: Amazing Cocktail-Party Science to Impress Your Friends, San Francisco, Calif.: Weldon Owen, →ISBN, page 282

plural Apocalypses

1. countablebiblicalThe written account of a revelation of hidden things given by God to a chosen prophet.

   Apocalypses of Adam and Abraham (Epiphanius) and of Elias (Jerome) are also mentioned.

2. ChristianityRevelation (last book of the Bible, composed of twenty-two chapters, which narrates a vision of the end times).

   He's been reading the Apocalypse again, and doomscrolling social media content that fixates on it.

3. Armageddon: the destructive end of the world.

   They keep predicting that the Apocalypse is nigh, but I notice that they have books and supplies that they're trying to sell.