on earth
1
2.8
- idiom
- Informal
- What on earth is she doing?
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Watch on YouTubeAnd I was like, why on earth would he not call me?
- And I was like, why on earth would he not call me?
- Like why on earth are we OK with that?
- Well, So what on earth would be the point?
- So in the theater, why on earth would I do such a thing?
- And you think, how on earth did this script get greenlit?
- But we were like how on earth did that just happen?
- I'm just so interested to see where on earth this is gonna take us.
- I mean, what on earth did I do to deserve this?
Examples
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How on earth did you manage such a feat?
-
And why on earth would I want to do that?
-
So the key question was, what on earth is this object?
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And I was like, why on earth would he not call me?
-
So why are you here on earth, Michael?
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Like why on earth are we OK with that?
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But how on earth would we get good at that?
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And he said, why on earth is it that expensive?
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So what on earth am I going to do?
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What on earth is going on?
Synonyms
∞
8.9
An angry or surprised question showing you do not believe something
147
8.9
A short cry to show surprise, confusion, disbelief, or casual acceptance
112
9.9
A short phrase people say to show surprise or confusion
37
8.1
Words people say to show strong surprise or shock
10
7.3
People say it to show surprise, anger, or a strong need for an answer
1
9.9
Said to show surprise or doubt
How Emphatic
- Informal
86
8.2
- Informal
52
7.9
- Informal
55
7.6
37
8.1
- Informal
1
2.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
on + Earth
The literal composition 'on' + 'Earth' yields a locative meaning (someone or something being on the world), which can be extended to 'in the world' and thus gives a clue to an emphatic or incredulous sense. However, the use as a pragmatic intensifier in questions is an idiomatic, non-literal extension that a B1 learner would not reliably predict without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
On earth comes from the image of the whole world: on the earth means 'in the whole world', so asking 'How on earth...?' is like asking 'How in the whole world...?'. That's why we use it to show 'surprise' or 'disbelief'.