doom
1 of 2noun
ˈdüm 
1
: a law or ordinance especially in Anglo-Saxon England
2
a
: judgment, decision
especially : a judicial condemnation or sentence
b(1)
: judgment sense 5a
(2)
: judgment day sense 1
3
a
: destiny
especially : unhappy destiny
b
: death, ruin
doom
2 of 2verb
doomed; dooming; dooms
transitive verb
1
: to give judgment against : condemn
2
a
: to fix the fate of : destine
felt he was doomed to a life of loneliness
b
: to make certain the failure or destruction of
the scandal doomed her chances for election
Synonyms
Noun
- finding
- holding
- judgment
- judgement
- ruling
- sentence
Verb
- destine
- fate
- foredoom
- foreordain
- ordain
- predestine
- predetermine
- preordain
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun The papers are filled with stories of gloom and doom. the story of a mysterious creature who lures travelers to their doom Verb A criminal record will doom your chances of becoming a politician. the actor felt that he was doomed to be forever remembered for that one terrible performance
Recent Examples on the Web
Sara M Moniuszko, USA TODAY, 26 Aug. 2022 Yet the more profound surrender here is to life’s avalanche — that crushing cascade of romance, fear, desire, anger, desperation and doom-scrolling. Bobby Olivier, SPIN, 26 July 2022 One reads into his neutral expression Milky’s mournful contemplation of doom — mirrored, too, in the cow’s big, glistening eyes, made out of a foam that has been painted with a clear resin. Peter Marks, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2022 The wide sidewalks have always been rough around the edges, peppered with tacky souvenirs and placard-waving preachers of doom. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 15 Aug. 2022 Though Lesnar and Reigns have mostly ran out of things to to do, there was an incredibly inventive spot where Brock Lesnar flipped the ring, almost on its side, using the trailer of doom. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 30 July 2022 On election night, while most Americans were doom-scrolling social media into the wee hours, climber Emily Harrington was feeling optimistic while racking up at the base of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Andrew Bisharat, Outside Online, 6 Nov. 2020 When the most powerful alleviative known to science has bestowed the last Judas kiss, what shall soothe such doom? Fitz Hugh Ludlow, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 Cyber Harm Reduction Not everything at Black Hat involves privacy gloom and security doom. PCMAG, 12 Aug. 2022 Sabrina Shankman, BostonGlobe.com, 30 June 2022 TikTok also has a democratizing sweep that truly puts the power to make a new, or old, song a hit in the hands of users, a big change from the days when record labels could doom an artist just by pulling marketing dollars. Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 11 June 2022 At least one member of the committee during the meeting publicly expressed fear that the potential legal fallout from the report and the cases documented could doom the 177-year-old convention. William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 2 June 2022 Waiting a decade for proof from clinical trials of a definitive impact on memory loss would doom millions of people to suffer with advancing dementia with no hope for treatment. Elenee Argentinis, STAT, 12 Aug. 2022 Will our own personal demons doom us from succeeding in our work? Ew Staff, EW.com, 10 Aug. 2022 Even a single bite will doom you to perish bloated on the toilet. Ryan Chapman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2022 Their declarations carry major political implications, given recessions can doom whatever party is in power. Jim Puzzanghera, BostonGlobe.com, 23 July 2022 The message financial markets sent at the time was simple: centrifugal forces between the diverse ethnic nations would tear Europe apart and doom the single currency. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 21 July 2022 See More
Noun
Avoid this by replacing doom-scrolling with something meaningful, including a hobby, quality time with family, getting outside or working out. Sara M Moniuszko, USA TODAY, 26 Aug. 2022 Yet the more profound surrender here is to life’s avalanche — that crushing cascade of romance, fear, desire, anger, desperation and doom-scrolling. Bobby Olivier, SPIN, 26 July 2022 One reads into his neutral expression Milky’s mournful contemplation of doom — mirrored, too, in the cow’s big, glistening eyes, made out of a foam that has been painted with a clear resin. Peter Marks, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2022 The wide sidewalks have always been rough around the edges, peppered with tacky souvenirs and placard-waving preachers of doom. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 15 Aug. 2022 Though Lesnar and Reigns have mostly ran out of things to to do, there was an incredibly inventive spot where Brock Lesnar flipped the ring, almost on its side, using the trailer of doom. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 30 July 2022 On election night, while most Americans were doom-scrolling social media into the wee hours, climber Emily Harrington was feeling optimistic while racking up at the base of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Andrew Bisharat, Outside Online, 6 Nov. 2020 When the most powerful alleviative known to science has bestowed the last Judas kiss, what shall soothe such doom? Fitz Hugh Ludlow, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 Cyber Harm Reduction Not everything at Black Hat involves privacy gloom and security doom. PCMAG, 12 Aug. 2022 Verb
The ruling will also likely further weaken the country’s standing in international climate negotiations, and some environmentalists fear the collateral damage could doom efforts to avert the worst of global warming. Sabrina Shankman, BostonGlobe.com, 30 June 2022 TikTok also has a democratizing sweep that truly puts the power to make a new, or old, song a hit in the hands of users, a big change from the days when record labels could doom an artist just by pulling marketing dollars. Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 11 June 2022 At least one member of the committee during the meeting publicly expressed fear that the potential legal fallout from the report and the cases documented could doom the 177-year-old convention. William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 2 June 2022 Waiting a decade for proof from clinical trials of a definitive impact on memory loss would doom millions of people to suffer with advancing dementia with no hope for treatment. Elenee Argentinis, STAT, 12 Aug. 2022 Will our own personal demons doom us from succeeding in our work? Ew Staff, EW.com, 10 Aug. 2022 Even a single bite will doom you to perish bloated on the toilet. Ryan Chapman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2022 Their declarations carry major political implications, given recessions can doom whatever party is in power. Jim Puzzanghera, BostonGlobe.com, 23 July 2022 The message financial markets sent at the time was simple: centrifugal forces between the diverse ethnic nations would tear Europe apart and doom the single currency. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 21 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English dōm; akin to Old High German tuom condition, state, Old English dōn to do
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing doom
Kids Definition
doom 1 of 2
noun
ˈdüm
1
: a terrible or unhappy ending or happening
The news is full of doom and gloom.
2
: death sense 1
He met his doom.
doom
2 of 2verb
doomed; dooming
: to make sure that something bad will happen
The plan was doomed to failure.
doom 1 of 2
noun
1
as in ruling
a decision made by a court or tribunal regarding a case it has heard the judge solemnly pronounced his doom before a hushed courtroom Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- ruling
- sentence
- verdict
- judgment
- judgement
- decision
- finding
- holding
- pronouncement
- punishment
- declaration
- deliverance
- decree
- injunction
- opinion
- edict
- penalty
- order
- determination
- inquest
- conclusion
- dictum
- resolution
- arbitrament
- award
- authority
- discipline
2
as in destiny
a state or end that seemingly has been decided beforehand it was her doom to be haunted by the memory of that terrible day Synonyms & Similar Words
- destiny
- fate
- fortune
- chance
- circumstance
- hazard
- portion
- kismet
- luck
- accident
- effect
- predestination
- outcome
- casualty
- hap
- result
- lot
- happenchance
- resultant
- aftermath
- development
- happenstance
- issue
- consequence
- upshot
- sequel
- fruit
- sequence
- conclusion
- outgrowth
- aftereffect
3
as in demise
the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities met his doom at the hands of a rampaging rhinoceros Synonyms & Similar Words
- demise
- death
- fate
- passing
- dissolution
- grave
- end
- destruction
- decease
- exit
- expiration
- quietus
- suicide
- sleep
- passage
- curtains
- expiry
- great divide
- fatality
- assassination
- annihilation
- ruin
- ending
- martyrdom
- casualty
- self-destruction
- extermination
- execution
- killing
- slaughter
- self-slaughter
- massacre
- self-murder
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- birth
- life
- existence
- rise
- creation
- nativity
- genesis
- origination
doom
2 of 2verb
1
as in to destine
to determine the fate of in advance the actor felt that he was doomed to be forever remembered for that one terrible performance Synonyms & Similar Words
- destine
- fate
- foredoom
- preordain
- predestine
- foreordain
- ordain
- presage
- predict
- prophesy
- condemn
- predetermine
- foretell
- forebode
- sentence
- forecast
- prognosticate
- augur
- portend
- bode
- divine
- foresee
- forbode
- predestinate
- prejudge
- anticipate
- foreknow
- preconceive
2
as in to sentence
to impose a judicial punishment on doomed the murderer to life in prison without the possibility of parole Synonyms & Similar Words
- sentence
- condemn
- punish
- damn
- decree
- discipline
- rule
- censure
- judge
- correct
- chastise
- penalize
- adjudge
- chasten
- find
- resolve
- opine
- determine
- castigate
- decide
- conclude
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- pardon
- reprieve
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of doom are destiny, fate, lot, and portion. While all these words mean "a predetermined state or end," doom distinctly implies a grim or calamitous fate.
if the rebellion fails, his doom is certain
The words destiny and doom can be used in similar contexts, but destiny implies something foreordained and often suggests a great or noble course or end.
the country's destiny to be a model of liberty to the world
While in some cases nearly identical to doom, fate implies an inevitable and usually an adverse outcome.
the fate of the submarine is unknown
Both lot and portion imply a distribution by fate or destiny, lot suggesting blind chance.
it was her lot to die childless
Although the words portion and doom have much in common, portion implies the apportioning of good and evil.
remorse was his daily portion