Aftershock

//ˈæftɜɹʃɔk// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An earthquake that follows in the same vicinity as another, usually larger, earthquake (the "mainshock"). countable, uncountable

    "It was not a peace that brought joy – it was one that created an oppressive tension like the calm between a major earthquake and the aftershock."

  2. 2
    a tremor (or one of a series of tremors) occurring after the main shock of an earthquake wordnet
  3. 3
    By extension, any result or consequence following a major event. countable, figuratively, uncountable

    "The collapse of the financial market sixty days later was the aftershock."

  4. 4
    Emotional and physical distress following a traumatic event. countable, uncountable

    "Far from being an emotional aftershock following an event that upsets our whole world, horror is what first discloses to us the upsetting possibility that our world as a whole can cease to be."

Synonyms

All synonyms
afterquake

Example

More examples

"Five tremors in excess of magnitude 5.0 on the Richter scale have shaken Japan just this week, but scientists are warning that the largest expected aftershock has yet to hit."

Etymology

From after- + shock.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.