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]
-
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.
If that cohort were a country, it would be the third-largest economy on earth, trailing only the U.S. and China.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026
“Schitt’s Creek”? Or what on earth my parents were thinking?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
"She'll be out in December of this year having received a three-year sentence. How on earth can that be right?"
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
His medical condition and the high cost of returning him home to Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, have left the family "living on earth but in hell", according to charity Lia's Wings.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Then I looked at my bike, looked at the chickens, and wondered what on earth I was going to do now.
From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
