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Armageddon

American  
[ahr-muh-ged-n] / ˌɑr məˈgɛd n /

noun

  1. (in the Bible) the place where a final battle will be fought between the forces of good and evil: probably so called in reference to the battlefield of Megiddo.

  2. the last and completely destructive battle.

    The arms race can lead to Armageddon.

  3. any great and crucial conflict.

Armageddon British  
/ ˌɑːməˈɡɛdən /

noun

  1. New Testament the final battle at the end of the world between the forces of good and evil, God against the kings of the earth (Revelation 16:16)

  2. a catastrophic and extremely destructive conflict, esp World War I viewed as this

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Armageddon Cultural  

  1. In the Book of Revelation, the site of the final and conclusive battle between good and evil, involving “the kings of the Earth and the whole world,” on the “great day of God Almighty.”

Discover More

Figuratively, “Armageddon” is any great battle or destructive confrontation.

Etymology

Origin of Armageddon

First recorded in 1580–90; Middle English Hermagedon, Old English Ermagedon, from Late Latin Hermagedōn, Armagedōn, from Greek Harmagedṓn, from Hebrew har măgiddō (măgiddōn) “mountain of Megiddo”; Megiddo ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The press is warning of nuclear Armageddon after an arms-control treaty between Russia and the United States expired this week.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

Based on the state of the tariff world at that time, it looked like trade Armageddon had started.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 8, 2026

Pop’s princess and her crew don’t just await Armageddon; they welcome it.

From Salon • Dec. 21, 2025

The trade makes them feel good, as they reason they have protected their unrealized gains—even though such options are often priced in ways that require Armageddon to occur for them to prove profitable.

From Barron's • Nov. 12, 2025

“I still think a ballet would be perfect, you know, while Armageddon is going on.”

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.