Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense dooms, present participle dooming, past tense, past participle doomed
1. uncountable noun
Doom is a terrible future state or event which you cannot prevent.
...his warnings of impending doom.
...a wicked mermaid who lured sailors to their doom.
Synonyms: destruction, ruin, catastrophe, death More Synonyms of doom
2. uncountable noun
If you have a sense or feeling of doom, you feel that things are going very badly and are likely to get even worse.
Why are people so full of gloom and doom?
Attendance figures have dropped, creating a mood of doom among theatre directors.
3. verb
If a fact or event dooms someone or something to a particular fate, it makes certain that they are going to suffer in some way.
That argument doomed their marriage to failure. [VERB noun + to]
[Also VERB noun to-infinitive]
Synonyms: condemn, judge, threaten, damn More Synonyms of doom
More Synonyms of doom
doom in British English
(duːm)
noun
1.
death or a terrible fate
2.
a judgment or decision
3. (sometimes capital) another term for the Last Judgment
verb
4. (transitive)
to destine or condemn to death or a terrible fate
Word origin
Old English dōm; related to Old Norse dōmr judgment, Gothic dōms sentence, Old High German tuom condition, Greek thomos crowd, Sanskrit dhāman custom; see do1, deem, deed, -dom
doom in American English1
(dum)
noun
1. Obsolete
a statute; decree
2.
a judgment; esp., a sentence of condemnation
3.
destiny; fate
4.
tragic fate; ruin or death
5.
Judgment Day
verb transitive
6.
to pronounce judgment on; condemn; sentence
7.
to destine to a tragic fate
8.
to ordain as a penalty
SIMILAR WORDS: fate
Word origin
ME & OE dom, lit., what is laid down, decree, akin to Goth doms, judgment < IE base *dhē-: see do1
doom in American English2
(dum)
noun
alt. sp. of
doum
Examples of 'doom' in a sentence
doom
So why all the doom and gloom?
The Sun (2016)
So much speculation on doom and gloom.
The Sun (2016)
Since then a series of awkward draws and dodgy defeats has led to doom and gloom.
The Sun (2017)
It is not all doom and gloom.
The Sun (2016)
The fizzy drinks tax is doomed to fail, as it has elsewhere.
The Sun (2016)
A feeling of having to keep at it and the awful impending doom.
The Sun (2017)
Instead of doom and gloom, we need to look at it as an opportunity to turn the season around.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Musicals don't ask us to ignore the gloom, doom and dangers of life.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
It's not all doom and gloom, though.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Despite the tinsel, things are all doom and gloom over at the Platts.
The Sun (2016)
Yet it is not all doom and gloom.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
There was no sign of impending doom either.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
No imperial venture was doomed to more certain failure.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They were terrified that their marriage was doomed.
Christianity Today (2000)
But doom and gloom is only part of the story.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
My sense of impending doom rises another notch.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He was warned hours before voters went to the polls about the impending doom.
The Sun (2008)
But the impending doom of a plunge into the ravine is still there.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
This opening room is so gripping that the show that follows is doomed to feel a tad patchy.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Because it is doomed to fail.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
All you see is death, doom and destruction.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The only thing that regularly makes me feel British is doomed.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
So something tells me it's doomed to fail.
The Sun (2012)
We've enjoyed the holiday away from the media spiral of doom and gloom.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Because really it was 20 years of feeling doomed.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Unless you are comfortable in your own skin, your marriage is doomed.
The Sun (2012)
They've had a lot of doom and gloom recently.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The last nine years have seen one of the most foolish gambles in history - doomed to fail.
The Sun (2006)
You need to focus on ways to rebuild trust so your marriage isn't doomed before it begins.
The Sun (2010)
A decade ago they tried to shock the world with apocalyptic forecasts of certain doom.
The Sun (2013)
And fatal is no figure of speech; for anything written with that conscious bias is doomed to death.
Kishlansky, Mark A. (editor) Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume 1: From the Beginningto 1715 (1995)
Whereas those who consult me think that I can cure a lifestyle issue and so are doomed to fail.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
doom
British English: doom NOUN
Doom is a terrible future state or event which you cannot prevent.
...his warnings of impending doom.
American English: doom
Brazilian Portuguese: ruína
Chinese: 厄运
European Spanish: suerte
French: catastrophe
German: Verhängnis
Italian: rovina ineluttabile
Japanese: 宿命
Korean: 운명
European Portuguese: ruína
Latin American Spanish: suerte
British English: doom VERB
If a fact or event dooms someone or something to a particular fate, it makes certain that they are going to suffer in some way.
That argument doomed their marriage to failure.
American English: doom
Brazilian Portuguese: fadar ao fracasso
Chinese: 注定
European Spanish: condenar
French: vouer
German: verdammen
Italian: condannare
Japanese: 追いやる
Korean: 불행한 운명을 맞이하다
European Portuguese: fadar ao fracasso
Latin American Spanish: condenar
All related terms of 'doom'
doom palm
an Egyptian palm tree, Hyphaene thebaica, with a divided trunk and edible apple-sized fruits
doom-laden
conveying a sense of disaster and tragedy
doom-monger
→ another name for doomsayer
crack of doom
doomsday ; the end of the world; the Day of Judgment
gloom and doom
an account or prediction of adversity , esp. in economic or business affairs ; bad news
doum palm
variety of palm tree
doomsayer
someone who always predicts the worst outcome
Chinese translation of 'doom'
doom
(duːm)
n(u)
(= ruin) 毁(毀)灭(滅) (huǐmiè)
(= fate) 厄运(運) (èyùn)
(= feeling of depression) 悲观(觀) (bēiguān)
vt
to be doomed to failure注定要失败(敗) (zhùdìng yào shībài)
1 (noun)
Definition
death or a terrible fate
his warnings of impending doom
Synonyms
destruction
the extensive destruction caused by the rioters
ruin
It is the ruin of society.
catastrophe
death
the death of everything he had ever hoped for
downfall
His lack of experience led to his downfall.
2 (noun)
It was their doom to never be successful in business.
Synonyms
fate
You cannot choose your fate.
destiny
We are masters of our own destiny.
fortune
He is certainly being smiled on by fortune.
lot
He's always accepted his lot in life.
portion
3 (noun)
Synonyms
sentence
When she heard of the sentence, she said: `Is that all?'
decision
The judge's decision was greeted with dismay.
verdict
The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict.
judgment
The Court is expected to give its judgment within the next ten days.
decree
court decrees relating to marital property
condemnation
1 (verb)
Definition
to destine or condemn to death or a terrible fate
Some suggest the leisure park is doomed to failure.
Synonyms
condemn
sentence
In some American states, criminals can still be sentenced to death.
consign
foreordain
destine
predestine
preordain
2 (verb)
Definition
to destine or condemn to death or a terrible fate
That argument was the one that doomed their marriage.