upheaval
pronunciation
How to pronounce upheaval in British English:
UK [ʌpˈhi:vl]
How to pronounce upheaval in American English:
US [ʌpˈhivəl]
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- Noun:
- a state of violent disturbance and disorder (as in politics or social conditions generally)
- a violent disturbance
- (geology) a rise of land to a higher elevation (as in the process of mountain building)
- disturbance usually in protest
Word Origin
- upheaval (n.)
- 1834 in reference to convulsions in society; 1836 in geology, from verb upheave (c. 1300, from up (adv.) + heave (v.)) + -al (2). Similarly formed verbs are Old Frisian upheva, Old High German ufhevan, German aufheben.
Example
- 1. Yet the success comes at a time of upheaval .
- 2. Syria could well be ripe for upheaval .
- 3. But not to do so would threaten social upheaval .
- 4. The axis of upheaval has many members .
- 5. Currency markets were in upheaval .