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

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

Nor are Taylor Swift’s earthshaking abilities unique to the music world.

From New York Times • Jul. 28, 2023

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

From Seattle Times • Mar. 11, 2023

The billionaire exec spontaneously shares earthshaking company plans, uncredited memes, and bizarre accusations.

From The Verge • Apr. 11, 2022

Nothing much more but the earthshaking report that Henry Hahn’s gray mare had wandered off again.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson