up·heav·al

(ŭp-hē′vəl)

a. The process of being heaved upward.

b. An instance of being so heaved.

2. A sudden, violent disruption or upset: "the psychic upheaval caused by war" (Wallace Fowlie).

3. Geology A raising of a part of the earth's crust.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

upheaval

(ʌpˈhiːvəl)

1. a strong, sudden, or violent disturbance, as in politics, social conditions, etc

2. (Geological Science) geology another word for uplift⁷

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

up•heav•al

(ʌpˈhi vəl)

n.

1. strong or violent change or disturbance, as in a society.

2. an act of upheaving, esp. of a part of the earth's crust.

3. the state of being upheaved.

[1830–40]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	upheaval - a state of violent disturbance and disorder (as in politics or social conditions generally); "the industrial revolution was a period of great turbulence" Sturm und Drang, turbulence political science, politics, government - the study of government of states and other political units disorder - a disturbance of the peace or of public order ferment, fermentation, unrest, agitation, tempestuousness - a state of agitation or turbulent change or development; "the political ferment produced new leadership"; "social unrest" roller coaster - anything characterized by abrupt and extreme changes (especially up and down); "the economy has been on a roller coaster all year" violence - a turbulent state resulting in injuries and destruction etc.
	2.	upheaval - a violent disturbance; "the convulsions of the stock market" turmoil, convulsion commotion, hoo-ha, hoo-hah, hurly burly, kerfuffle, to-do, disruption, disturbance, flutter - a disorderly outburst or tumult; "they were amazed by the furious disturbance they had caused"
	3.	upheaval - (geology) a rise of land to a higher elevation (as in the process of mountain building) uplift, upthrow, upthrust geology - a science that deals with the history of the earth as recorded in rocks rising, ascension, ascent, rise - a movement upward; "they cheered the rise of the hot-air balloon"
	4.	upheaval - disturbance usually in protest hullabaloo, turmoil, agitation, excitement disturbance - the act of disturbing something or someone; setting something in motion

upheaval

noun disturbance, revolution, disorder, turmoil, overthrow, disruption, eruption, cataclysm, violent change Algeria has been going through political upheaval.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

upheaval

noun

A momentous or sweeping change:

cataclysm, convulsion, revolution.

Translations

إنْقِلاب فُجائي

pozdvižení

omvæltning

Umbruch Umwälzung

bouleversement

umbrot, umrót

scompiglio sollevazione

apvērsumsjukas

omkalfatring

kargaşa karışıklık

动乱大变动巨变

upheaval

[ʌpˈhiːvəl] N

1. (emotional) → trastorno m

2. (in home, office etc) → trastorno m

3. (Pol) → agitación f

4. (Geol) → levantamiento m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

upheaval

[ʌpˈhiːv^əl] n (personal, social) → bouleversement m
political upheaval → agitation f politique

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

upheaval

n (Geol) → Aufwölbung f, → Erhebung f; (fig) → Aufruhr m; emotional upheaval → Aufruhr m → der Gefühle; social/political upheavals → soziale/politische Umwälzungen pl

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

upheaval

[ʌpˈhiːv/əl] n (disturbance) → scompiglio (Pol) → sconvolgimento (Geol) → sollevamento

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

upheaval

(apˈhiːvəl) noun

a great change or disturbance. Moving house causes a great upheaval.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Valparaiso -- Portillo Pass -- Sagacity of Mules -- Mountain- torrents -- Mines, how discovered -- Proofs of the gradual Elevation of the Cordillera -- Effect of Snow on Rocks -- Geological Structure of the two main Ranges, their distinct Origin and Upheaval -- Great Subsidence -- Red Snow -- Winds -- Pinnacles of Snow -- Dry and clear Atmosphere -- Electricity -- Pampas -- Zoology of the opposite Side of the Andes -- Locusts -- Great Bugs -- Mendoza -- Uspallata Pass -- Silicified Trees buried as they grew -- Incas Bridge -- Badness of the Passes exaggerated -- Cumbre -- Casuchas -- Valparaiso.

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Under the influence of a great mental and moral upheaval, his character and his habits had taken on the appearance of complete change, but after a while with the subsidence of the storm, both began to settle toward their former places.

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The usual upheaval of the tables and chairs had taken place.

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Once the tumultuous upheaval of its dispersion was over, the black smoke clung so closely to the ground, even before its precipitation, that fifty feet up in the air, on the roofs and upper stories of high houses and on great trees, there was a chance of escaping its poison altogether, as was proved even that night at Street Cobham and Ditton.

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The various kinds of knowledge and of virtue are habits, for knowledge, even when acquired only in a moderate degree, is, it is agreed, abiding in its character and difficult to displace, unless some great mental upheaval takes place, through disease or any such cause.

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"You may count upon me, my lord, provided you want to make a complete upheaval of the city."

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I have plenty of time and there are lots of things to be seen to." There had been that in her voice which had forbidden discussion, and it was a tone to which she was forced to have recourse more than once during the following days when it seemed to her that all her friends were in a conspiracy to persuade her to a hasty, ill-advised upheaval.

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"What an upheaval! Fancy Mephistopheles on a steamer!"

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Simultaneously the tangle underwent a violent upheaval. Flung out with such force as to be smashed against the near end of the cage, Michael fell to the floor, tried to spring up, but crumpled and sank down, his right shoulder streaming blood from a terrible mauling and crushing.

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Some more potent upheaval had cloven a great slice from the marble mantel.

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We didn't expect a huge social upheaval in a week, or even a decade of years.

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As frame after frame followed it, the swarm beheld the upheaval, exposure, and destruction of all that had been well or ill done in every cranny of their Hive for generations past.

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