upheaval

  • 1Upheaval — Up*heav al, n. The act of upheaving, or the state of being upheaved; esp., an elevation of a portion of the earth s crust. Lubbock. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2upheaval — index bluster (commotion), cataclysm, commotion, confusion (turmoil), disaster, furor, havoc …

    Law dictionary

  • 3upheaval — (n.) 1838, in geology, from Middle English verb upheave (c.1300), from UP (Cf. up) + HEAVE (Cf. heave) (v.). Cf. O.Fris. upheva, O.H.G. ufhevan, Ger. aufheben. Figurative sense, with reference to convulsions of society, etc., recorded from 1850 …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4upheaval — *commotion, agitation, tumult, turmoil, turbulence, confusion, convulsion Analogous words: heaving, raising, lifting (see LIFT vb): alteration, change (see under CHANGE vb): cataclysm, catastrophe, *disaster …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 5upheaval — [n] major change about face*, alteration, cataclysm, catastrophe, clamor, commotion, convulsion, disaster, disorder, disruption, disturbance, eruption, explosion, ferment, flip flop*, new ball game*, new deal*, outbreak, outburst, outcry,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 6upheaval — ► NOUN ▪ a violent or sudden change or disruption …

    English terms dictionary

  • 7upheaval — [up hē′vəl] n. 1. a heaving up, as of part of the earth s crust by an earthquake 2. a sudden, violent change …

    English World dictionary

  • 8upheaval — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ big, enormous, great, major, massive ▪ cultural, economic, emotional, political, social …

    Collocations dictionary

  • 9upheaval — n. 1) a violent upheaval 2) a political; social upheaval * * * [ʌp hiːv(ə)l] social upheaval a political a violent upheaval …

    Combinatory dictionary

  • 10upheaval — UK [ʌpˈhiːv(ə)l] / US [ʌpˈhɪv(ə)l] noun [countable/uncountable] Word forms upheaval : singular upheaval plural upheavals a sudden or violent change, especially one that affects people s lives Maya s been going through a period of emotional… …

    English dictionary