Adjective

(-)

Of or relating to an apocalypse:

# Of or relating to an apocalypse (a revelation), revelatory; prophetic.

#* 1985', Donald A. Hagner, ''Apocalyptic Motifs in the Gospel of Matthew: Continuity and Discontinuity'', quoted in '''2007 by Jonathan T. Pennington in ''Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew , page 92:

"From beginning to end, and throughout, the Gospel makes such frequent use of apocalyptic' motifs and the '''apocalyptic''' viewpoint that it deserves to be called the '''''apocalyptic Gospel ."

#* 2002 , Peter W. Smith, In the Day of the Lord: The Exciting and Promised Fulfillment , page 7:

This was because apocalyptic stories — from the Greek word apohalupsis which means “reveal” — uses the vocabulary of symbols and numbers and contains concealed messages that secular listeners cannot comprehend.

# Of or relating to an apocalypse (a disaster).

#* 2001 , Richard A. Horsley, Hearing the whole story: the politics of plot in Mark's gospel , page 122:

In fact, interpreters commonly declare that Mark is an "apocalyptic " Gospel. When they read Jesus' long speech toward the end of the Gospel (chap. 13), they even detect a veritable "apocalypse": "Wars and rumors of wars, "

#* 2010 , Philip Leroy Culbertson, Elaine Mary Wainwright, Bible in popular culture , page 184:

These bookends house a wealth of apocalyptic stories. The Bible, like some street preacher with a sign, shouts, “The end is near!”

Portending a future apocalypse (disaster, devastation or doom).

(nonstandard) Eggcorn of apoplectic.

He was apocalyptically furious.

Adjective

(en adjective)

Causing great sadness or suffering.

* {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April

, author=(Jan Sapp) , title=Race Finished , volume=100, issue=2, page=164 , magazine=(American Scientist) citation , passage=Few concepts are as emotionally charged as that of race. The word conjures up a mixture of associations—culture, ethnicity, genetics, subjugation, exclusion and persecution. But is the tragic history of efforts to define groups of people by race really a matter of the misuse of science, the abuse of a valid biological concept?}}

Relating to tragedy in a literary work.

(in tabloid newspapers) Involved in a tragedy.

* 2008', ''Search for '''tragic Madeleine McCann over'' (in ''The Daily Telegraph of Australia, 14 February 2008) [http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/search-for-maddie-over/story-e6freuy9-1111115550129]

* 2012', Gary Meneely, ''Keano’s tribute to '''tragic James'' (in ''The Irish Sun , 25 June 2012) [http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/irishsun/irishsunnews/4392499/Keanos-tribute-to-tragic-James.html]