apocalypse

apocalypse, catastrophic end

noun ah-poh-kah-LEEPS Rare

Origin: Greek apokalupsis (revelation, uncovering)

Also means

Book of Revelation

Usage Note

Apocalypse in everyday French often means a disaster or catastrophic event rather than a strictly religious end-times scenario, as in c'est l'apocalypse ('it's a complete disaster'). The adjective apocalyptique describes scenes of destruction or chaos. It can refer to the biblical Book of Revelation when used in a theological context.

Examples

"Le tremblement de terre ressemblait à une apocalypse."

Natural Translation

The earthquake looked like an apocalypse.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Le, La, Un, Du: French Articles Made Simple

Le, la, un, du, des made simple: pick the French article family by meaning, the form by gender, and dodge the two mistakes English speakers always make.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Telling Time in French: Hours, Quarters, 24-Hour

Telling time in French means Il est cinq heures, et quart, et demie, and the 24-hour clock like quatorze heures trente. Read any French schedule.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Object Pronouns: le, la, lui, leur Order

Le lui or lui le? Use the à-name test to pick le/la vs lui/leur, then one slot chart to order two French object pronouns — plus the command exception.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French False Friends: 25 Faux Amis to Avoid

French false friends look like English words but mean something else: actuellement is not actually, sensible means sensitive. Here are 25 faux amis to avoid.

June 3, 2026 5 min read