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Glite Dictionary
crack of doom

crack of doom

9.9
The day when God judges everyone and the world ends
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : el crack del juicio final
  • Many believe that the crack of doom will signal the end of time as we know it.

Examples

  • Suddenly, a resounding peal of thunder rings out like the crack of doom.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • According to some religious teachings, all humanity will stand before God at the crack of doom for final judgment.

  • The concept of the crack of doom represents a moment of ultimate reckoning for every individual.

Synonyms

end of the world
vscrack of doom
  • Formal
50 7.9

The final event when God judges all people and decides their eternal fate

is the same judgment-focused end rather than the general historical end
reckoning
vscrack of doom
  • Literature
42 7.0

A time when people must face the results of their wrong actions

is specifically the final global divine judgment, not any consequence time
doomsday
vscrack of doom
  • Literature
23 7.5

The last day when the world ends or everything is destroyed

focuses specifically on divine judgment rather than disaster imagery
Judgment Day
vscrack of doom
19 8.8

In Christian belief, a future day when God judges everyone's life and decides their final place after death

is the same event described in another traditional phrase
Last Day
vscrack of doom
  • Literature
16 8.7

A day at the end of time when God judges everyone for their actions

is the same end-time judgment but phrased differently
Day of Judgment
vscrack of doom
7 8.6

A future day when God judges people and decides if they go to heaven or hell

is the same final judgment named in a different expression
Last Judgment
vscrack of doom
  • Literature
2 9.3

A final day when God decides each person's fate, rewarding good and punishing bad

is the same divine judgment expressed in a different wording
eschaton
vscrack of doom
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A final event in Christian belief when God ends the world

is more about the final judging moment than broad destiny
day of reckoning
vscrack of doom
  • Literature
1 8.7

A future day when God judges everyone for their actions

is the same ultimate judging moment but in another traditional term
final reckoning
vscrack of doom
  • Literature
1 9.0

A time when someone must face the results of their past actions

is the universal final divine judgment rather than a personal end
Domesday
vscrack of doom
  • Archaic
9.9

The day when God judges everyone

uses the same idea but the key is not the archaic form

Surface Forms

crack of doom singular
cracks of doom plural

Morphology

crack + of + doom

The meaning 'the Last Judgment' is a culturally specific, archaic idiom (as in 'at the crack of doom') that cannot be straightforwardly derived from 'crack' (a split or sudden sound) and 'doom' (destruction/destiny). The relation is metaphorical and poetic rather than compositional, so a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words would be unlikely to infer the precise eschatological sense.

Etymology

Crack of doom may come from the picture of a sudden loud noise—a crack like a trumpet or great crash—that announces God's final doom, the 'last judgment'. So today it means 'the day the world ends' or the moment when everyone is judged.