doom

Everyday

1. (noun) Death, ruin or a terrible fate that cannot be avoided. tree →
2. (verb) To make something certain to fail or suffer: «The plan was doomed from the start». tree →
3. (noun, informal) «doom and gloom» — a feeling that everything will go wrong. tree →
4. (old, Bible) Judgement, especially the Last Judgement: «Doomsday» or «the crack of doom». tree →

In the lessons

In stories and films: heroes face doom; villains plot doom; «impending doom» builds suspense. In history: the Domesday Book (an old English survey; not about the end of the world). In everyday talk: «doom and gloom» about the weather or tests; «doomscrolling» (reading lots of bad news online). Phrases: «doomed to fail», «sense of doom», «spell doom for», «prophet of doom».

Examples

• The ship was doomed when it hit the iceberg. tree →
• The knight rode bravely to meet his doom. tree →
• Too much rain could spell doom for the picnic. tree →
• A feeling of doom came over me before the test. tree →
• Stop the doom and gloom — it might be sunny tomorrow! tree →
• Without water, the plants were doomed. tree →
• The dragon roared, "Your doom is near!" tree →
• “Heavy is my doom!” he groaned. tree →

Note

Uncountable noun. Regular verb: doomed. «Doomed» (adjective) means sure to fail or die. Informal «doomscrolling» is a modern word. The Domesday Book is spelled differently.