Geologists traced the ancient upheaval of the plateau.
New technology has thrown the industry into upheaval.
Successive upheavals raised the old rock layers.
The upheaval of the seabed changed the coastline.
The election brought months of political upheaval.
Similar words
disturbance
displacement
convulsion
turmoil
crisis
heaving
shake-up
rising
disruption
elevation
Meanings
Major disruptive change
noun
social
neutral
A major break in normal life or order, usually sudden, difficult, and unsettling.
Examples
The election brought months of political upheaval.
Moving abroad caused real upheaval in her family life.
The merger created an upheaval across the company.
The city recovered slowly after years of social upheaval.
New technology has thrown the industry into upheaval.
He wrote the novel during a period of personal upheaval.
Similar words
turmoil
disruption
convulsion
shake-up
crisis
disturbance
revolution
Upward movement of land or crust
noun
geology
technical
A lifting or heaving upward of part of the earth's surface or crust.
Examples
The upheaval of the seabed changed the coastline.
Geologists traced the ancient upheaval of the plateau.
The earthquake left signs of upheaval along the fault.
Successive upheavals raised the old rock layers.
Volcanic pressure can produce a sudden upheaval of land.
The cliffs reveal millions of years of crustal upheaval.
Similar words
uplift
heaving
elevation
rising
displacement
deformation
Etymology
Formed from the verb upheave with the noun suffix -al, first recorded in the 1830s for both social convulsion and geological lifting.
FAQ
What does upheaval mean?
Upheaval means a major disturbance that disrupts normal order, especially in society, work, family life, or geology.
Is upheaval usually negative?
Yes. It usually suggests difficulty, disorder, or stress, even when the later result may be positive.
Can upheaval describe personal life?
Yes. A divorce, move, illness, job loss, or other serious change can cause personal upheaval.
What does upheaval mean in geology?
In geology, upheaval is the upward lifting or heaving of land, seabed, or crust.
Is upheaval a verb?
No. Upheaval is a noun. The related verb is upheave, though other verbs such as disrupt or overhaul are often more natural.
What is the plural of upheaval?
The plural is upheavals, as in political upheavals or crustal upheavals.
What are good synonyms for upheaval?
For social change, turmoil, disruption, and shake-up are close. For geology, uplift is often the clearest match.
Comments & contributions
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Sleek Lemming
Jul 11
en español me sale decir convulsión política para esto, pero no siempre encaja con upheaval en cosas personales
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Curious Camel
Jun 30
political upheaval is the phrase I see all the time in news articles, almost a set phrase at this point
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Loyal Hoopoe
Jun 29
Geology books and museum signs often prefer uplift for the technical process. Upheaval is still understandable there, but in ordinary reading it can sound a bit more dramatic, like cliffs being shoved up in some ancient chaos.
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Rainy Tiger
Jun 26
tiny pronunciation thing: most people hit the second syllable, up-HEE-vuhl. I hear learners put the stress on UP because of the spelling, and then it takes a second to recognise the word.
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Spry Gazelle
Jun 23
In personal life it sounds heavier than just stress. I would say the upheaval of moving house if the routines, school runs, money, everything got knocked around, not just because packing boxes was annoying.
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Violet Fox
Jun 17
For learners, the useful pattern is often a period of upheaval or years of upheaval. It doesnt have to be one dramatic day, it can mean the whole messy stretch after the big change.