earthshaking

American  

[urth-shey-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

Etymology

Origin of earthshaking

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

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

She heard an earthshaking boom and, from her bathroom window, “all you saw was the flames.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 11, 2023

Other nominees included Mary J. Blige, who gave an earthshaking performance during the main broadcast, PJ Morton, and Lucky Daye.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2023

The convergence is a reminder of just how earthshaking #MeToo was for Hollywood.

From New York Times • Oct. 24, 2022

“It’s not an earthshaking aspect of the investigation.”

From Washington Post • Oct. 13, 2022

While hardly an earthshaking question, it had symbolic significance because of the obsessive American suspicion of monarchy, which haunted all conversations about the powers of the presidency under the recently ratified Constitution.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis