apocalypse - uh-POCK-uh-LIPS - an event involving destruction on a catastrophic or awesome scale
Example: "The earthquake in Haiti aptly has been described by the media as apocalyptic."
As a starter: and as a former teacher in English, I hope to add to reader's vocabulary by presenting a word a day in simple terms that anyone can understand - from current use in publications, radio,TV, etc. Remember: use a new word three times in a day and it's yours forever!