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Glite Dictionary
world-shattering

world-shattering

1 7.0
Very important and likely to change many things
  • adjective
  • /wɜrldˈʃætərɪŋ/
translation icon : revolucionario
  • Her speech on climate change was world-shattering, urging everyone to take immediate action.
  • a world-shattering event

Examples

  • Winning the championship felt like a world-shattering achievement for the underdog team.

  • Does everything need to be world-shattering to be news?

    Blog text (26)

  • Seriously, how world-shattering is this?

    Blog text (26)

  • OK, so how exactly do we create this world shattering, if you will, innovation?

  • Granted, this isn't world-shattering stuff, but it all seems pretty stupid.

    Blog text (33)

  • These points may not be all that world-shattering, but they were drilled into my noggin this week.

    Blog text (33)

  • Secondly, revelations don't need to be 'world-shattering' in order to have a significant impact on public consciousness.

    Blog text (26)

  • The discovery of penicillin was a world-shattering moment in medical history.

Synonyms

big
vsworld-shattering
∞ 2.0

Important and having a strong effect

conveys extreme, planet‑level importance rather than general importance
crucial
vsworld-shattering
469 3.6

Very important for the success or result of something

means far greater, planet‑wide importance rather than case‑level decisiveness
momentous
vsworld-shattering
  • Formal
46 7.0

Important because it changes what happens next

stresses far‑reaching, planet‑level impact rather than future outcomes
game-changing
vsworld-shattering
12 4.6

Something that has a big effect and changes how things work

implies a broader, global change rather than change in one situation
earth-shattering
vsworld-shattering
9 6.1

Very important and surprising in a way that changes what happens

is similar but emphasizes global reach rather than surprise
epochal
vsworld-shattering
  • Formal
3 9.3

Very important and marking the start of a new era

focuses more on global scale and total effect than era marking
earthshaking
vsworld-shattering
1 7.2

Very important and likely to cause big changes

is expressed as having effect on the entire globe rather than many areas
world-shaking
vsworld-shattering
1 7.2

Very important and able to affect the whole world

has identical meaning but is phrased with a different form

Antonyms

insignificant
104 4.1

Not important or too small to matter

unimportant
54 1.9

Not worth attention or notice

How Significant

world-shattering
1 7.0
epoch-making
  • Formal
1 8.8
important
∞ 1.0
notable
112 3.7
minor
600 2.4
unremarkable
20 3.5

Surface Forms

world-shattering positive

Morphology

world-shattering = world + shatter (transparent) = world + shatter + ing

A regular noun + present-participle compound whose metaphorical sense ('that which would shatter the world') is directly inferable from 'world' and 'shatter' for learners who know those words.

Etymology

The word world-shattering is made of world and shattering, where shattering means 'breaking into pieces'. A helpful image is something so big it would 'break' the world, which is why world-shattering means extremely important or having a huge effect on everyone.