earthquake

noun

earth·​quake ˈərth-ˌkwāk 

1

: a shaking or trembling of the earth that is volcanic or tectonic in origin

2

: upheaval sense 2

Synonyms

• quake
• shake
• temblor
• tremor

Examples of earthquake in a Sentence

a building destroyed by earthquake

the San Andreas Fault is notorious for its earthquakes

Recent Examples on the Web

Shocked by this week’s earthquake, zoo elephants formed an ‘alert circle’ to protect their young at San Diego Zoo Get ready for the L.A. Times Festival of Books Our annual book festival is next weekend! —Alyssa Bereznak, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025

Cuts to American aid under President Donald Trump have exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation — one which has reached catastrophic levels following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on March 28. —Emily Fishbein, Hpan Ja Brang, The Dial, 17 Apr. 2025

There are some unavoidable California-specific costs, like ensuring buildings are resilient to shaking from earthquakes. —Jason Ward, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025

There was more spice to the match-up between the pair after an awkward public falling out during an exhibition at Indian Wells in 2010 for the Haiti earthquake disaster. —Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for earthquake

• awake
• backache
• beefsteak
• betake
• cheesecake
• cupcake
• daybreak
• eastlake
• forsake
• handshake
• headache
• heartache

Kids Definition

earthquake

noun

earth·​quake ˈərth-ˌkwāk 

: a shaking or trembling of a portion of the earth