doom
UK: duːm | US: duːm
n. 1. Fate or destiny, especially adverse or tragic.
n. 2. Inevitable destruction or ruin.
vt. 3. To condemn to a terrible fate or punishment.
The word "doom" traces back to Old English dōm, meaning "law, judgment, or decree." It shares roots with Old Norse dómr (judgment) and Gothic doms (reputation). Originally neutral, it evolved to emphasize harsh or irreversible judgments, reflecting societal associations of legal rulings with finality. By the 14th century, it gained its modern sense of "inevitable catastrophe," influenced by religious and literary contexts (e.g., "Doomsday"). The semantic shift highlights how cultural perceptions of judgment morphed into notions of inescapable fate.
The prophecy spoke of doom for the kingdom.
Environmentalists warn of ecological doom if policies don’t change.
The villain was doomed to fail from the start.
She felt a sense of doom as the storm approached.
His reckless actions doomed the project.