aftermath
Americannoun
noun
-
signs or results of an event or occurrence considered collectively, esp of a catastrophe or disaster
the aftermath of war
-
agriculture a second mowing or crop of grass from land that has already yielded one crop earlier in the same year
Etymology
Origin of aftermath
1515–25; after + math a mowing, Old English mǣth; cognate with Old High German mād ( German Mahd ); akin to mow 1
Explanation
The aftermath of a car crash might include a broken fender, a sprained rib, and a lecture from a police officer. The consequences of an unpleasant event make up its aftermath. The math in aftermath does not refer to adding or subtracting numbers, rather it is related to a Germanic word for mowing, or harvest. If you have been mowed down by a class of excited first graders, the aftermath might be a bruised knee, a headache from all of the squealing, and red face from embarrassment.
Vocabulary lists containing aftermath
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
From the late 1990s to the direct aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, investors were more concerned about economic deceleration than inflation.
From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026
Nuno refused to say whether he would remain at London Stadium in the aftermath of failing to prevent the club dropping out of the Premier League for the first time since 2011.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
Cuba sent an armored combat brigade equipped with Soviet T-62 tanks to reinforce Syria during the 1973 Yom Kippur war and its aftermath, with an estimated troop deployment between 800 and 3,000.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
His parents, in the aftermath, said that he was caught up in a web of online hate, and the tragic events came after repeated voluntary trips to rehabilitation treatment centers.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
In the aftermath of that meaningless scrimmage in the summer twilight in Lubbock, Trapper envisioned a definite fate for the Boobie Miles who had been the dazzling jewel of the Watermelon Feed.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
