earthshaking

American  

[urth-shay-king] / ˈɜrθˌʃeɪ kɪŋ /

Also earth-shattering, or earth-shaking

adjective

1. imperiling, challenging, or affecting basic beliefs, attitudes, relationships, etc.

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earthshaking British  

/ ˈɜːθˌʃeɪkɪŋ /

adjective

1. informal of enormous importance or consequence; momentous

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Other Word Forms

• earthshaker
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of earthshaking

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; see origin at earth, shaking

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Explanation

When something is earthshaking, it’s so loud or significant that it feels like the whole world could tremble in response. Whether it’s a sound loud enough to shake the earth or an event significant enough to impact the entire world, earthshaking moments leave a lasting impression. A thunderous explosion that can be felt all over town is an example of a literally earthshaking event. In a figurative sense, an earthshaking discovery would be the existence of life on other planets.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

earthshaking

These aren’t earthshaking revelations, but some of the habits of the best teams are counterintuitive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

But silhouettes like this are evoked by the phrase “the art of fixing a shadow,” which is how William Henry Fox Talbot described his earthshaking invention of the negative-positive process that made photographs possible.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2025

One afternoon in Chicago, he meets an enigmatic young woman who reveals the earthshaking truth about the gigantic cave man he briefly glimpsed so long ago.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 24, 2023

Your music was so loud, and the bass so earthshaking that I just had to investigate while out for my “quiet” evening stroll.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 23, 2022

The scythe was no longer raging with earthshaking wrath.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

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