armageddons
|ar-ma-ged-dons|
🇺🇸
/ˌɑr.məˈɡɛdən/
🇬🇧
/ˌɑː.məˈɡɛd(ə)n/
(armageddon)
final, catastrophic battle / total destruction
Etymology
'armageddon' originates from Biblical Hebrew, specifically the phrase 'Har Megiddo', where 'har' meant 'mountain' and 'Megiddo' is a place name.
'armageddon' entered English via the Greek form 'Armagedōn' used in the New Testament (Revelation) and through Latin translations; through medieval and early modern religious usage it became the modern English word 'armageddon'.
Initially, it meant 'mountain of Megiddo' (a geographic place), but over time it evolved to mean 'the site of the final battle' and more broadly 'a final catastrophic conflict or end of the world'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the prophesied final battle between good and evil described in the Bible (originally referring to the place 'Har Megiddo').
Writers often imagine multiple armageddons in speculative fiction.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a catastrophic event or series of events causing widespread destruction; an apocalypse (used figuratively).
Environmentalists warned that unchecked climate change could trigger ecological armageddons.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/09 04:16