Phrase guide

road to Damascus

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

An important point in someone's life where a great change, or reversal, of ideas or beliefs occurs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: attributive, idiomatic, often

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a sudden turning point in a person's life (similar to the sudden conversion of the Apostle Paul on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus of arrest Christians)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: landmark, turning point, watershed

History

Etymology

From the Bible New Testament book Acts of the Apostles. Referring to the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, later known as the Apostle Paul, to Christianity while travelling to Damascus to persecute Christians.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: pad na Damaskus — important point of change or reversal
  • Chinese Mandarin: 轉折點 /转折点 (zhuǎnzhédiǎn) — important point of change or reversal
  • Danish: vej til Damaskus — important point of change or reversal
  • Finnish: käännekohta — important point of change or reversal
  • French: chemin de Damas — important point of change or reversal
  • German: Damaskuserlebnis — important point of change or reversal
  • Portuguese: estrada para Damasco — important point of change or reversal
  • Russian: поворо́тный моме́нт (povorótnyj momént) — important point of change or reversal
  • Spanish: camino a Damasco — important point of change or reversal