doom

[ doom ]

noun

1. fate or destiny, especially adverse fate; unavoidable ill fortune:

   In exile and poverty, he met his doom.

2. ruin; death:

   to fall to one's doom.

3. a judgment, decision, or sentence, especially an unfavorable one:

   The judge pronounced the defendant's doom.

   Synonyms: fate, ruination, downfall, destruction

4. the Last Judgment, at the end of the world.
5. Obsolete. a statute, enactment, or legal judgment.

verb (used with object)

1. to destine, especially to an adverse fate.

   Synonyms: predestine, foreordain

2. to pronounce judgment against; condemn.
3. to ordain or fix as a sentence or fate.

doom

/ duːm /

noun

1. death or a terrible fate
2. a judgment or decision
3. sometimes capital another term for the Last Judgment

verb

1. tr to destine or condemn to death or a terrible fate

Other Words From

• doom·y adjective
• pre·doom verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of doom¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English dome, dōm, Old English dōm “judgment, law”; cognate with Old Norse dōmr, “judgment, sentence, court,” Gothic dōms “sentence, fame,” all from Germanic dômaz “what has been set,” from dôn “to set, place, do ¹( def ) ”; compare Greek thémis “law” (i.e., “what has been set, laid down”); deem

Word History and Origins

Origin of doom¹

Old English dōm; related to Old Norse dōmr judgment, Gothic dōms sentence, Old High German tuom condition, Greek thomos crowd, Sanskrit dhāman custom; see do ¹, deem , deed , -dom

Synonym Study

See fate.

Example Sentences

We do not know what 2025 will bring and forecasts of doom could well be punctured by the mere dismal reality of gross incompetence; the future may just be dumb.

From Salon

At 9 pm I turned off the cable news programs and decided there was no need to watch the American people doom themselves in real time.

From Salon

The headlines tolling doom have cast a shadow over the work of millions of dedicated mathematicians, entrepreneurs, engineers, artists, ecologists and community advocates and repelled onlookers, creating a profound missed opportunity to reshape philanthropy.

From Salon

Eventually, Democrats and those who voted with them realized their doom was upon them – but since that was the case, why rush into it?

From Salon

This election was never going to save us, and so I have to believe it was never going to doom us either.

From Slate

Related Words

• calamity
• cataclysm
• catastrophe
• disaster
• downfall