on earth
Idioms-
Also, in creation ; in the world . Ever, anywhere, of all possible things. These phrases are all used for emphasis in questions or, less often, in a negative context. For example, What on earth is he doing with a spade? or Where in creation did that child go? or How in the world do you expect me to carry all those bags? [Late 1700s]
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like nothing on earth . Incomparable. For example, That perfume smells like nothing on earth , or Her new hair color is like nothing on earth . [c. 1900]
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.
But as a business, it is the most gloriously cutthroat industry on earth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
"Which other world champion on my level - a high-level athlete on earth - would do a performance in front of 1,500 in Pattaya?"
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
South Korea is one of the most technologically advanced countries on earth, yet where it belongs in global stock indexes has been debated for years.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Nothing lasts forever, which I know from my 45 years on earth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
What on earth was so important that Zheng had left with that one thing from a sinking ship?
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
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.
