aftermath
Americannoun
noun
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signs or results of an event or occurrence considered collectively, esp of a catastrophe or disaster
the aftermath of war
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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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Stargirl
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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.
Some survivors of the deadly floods on the Nepal-China border ran for their lives, others narrowly missed disaster, but all were eyewitnesses to a major calamity and its aftermath.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
In a television interview with ABC News, Jake Reiner, the eldest son, described the aftermath of the slayings and the arrest of his brother, Nick, as a “living nightmare.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Garbo and his collaborators plan to continue following the aftermath with satellite imagery, aerial observations and tracking data.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
“The Disappearers” continues in the bitter aftermath of the attack, advancing into the 1990s and early 2000s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
It bulged a little, but not nearly as much as it had during the aftermath of the toupee liftoff.
From "Ungifted" by Gordon Korman
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.
