Earth — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈərth/

Meaning & Definition of Earth

Earth (noun)

  1. the fragmental material composing part of the surface of the globe; especially, cultivable soil
  2. the sphere of mortal life as distinguished from spheres of spirit life
  3. areas of land as distinguished from sea and air

Earth (verb)

  1. to drive to hiding in the earth
  2. to draw soil about (plants) —often used with up
  3. ground

Earth (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the celestial body on which we live

    "environmentalists who are committed to preserving the earth"

    similar: globe, planet, world
    related: cosmos, creation, nature, universe, ball, orb, sphere, macrocosm, microcosm, microcosmos

  2. the solid part of our planet's surface as distinguished from the sea and air

    "after nearly drowning, I was glad to feel the earth under my feet"

    similar: dirt, dust, ground, land, soil, terra firma
    related: continent, landmass, zone, island, isthmus, mainland, peninsula

  3. the loose surface material in which plants naturally grow

    "set the plants deep enough into the earth so that they'll be sure to take root"

    similar: clod, dirt, ground, mold, soil
    related: blackland, clay, gault (chiefly British), gley, guck, gumbo, kaolin, muck, mud, dust, gravel, sand, humus, loam, topsoil, alluvium, colluvium, detritus, loess, marl, sediment, shingle, silt, duff, mull, subsoil, substratum

  4. a very large amount of money

    "it'll cost the earth to repair that porcelain vase, so make sure that it's worth it"

    similar: big bucks, bomb (British), boodle, bundle, fortune, king's ransom, megabucks, mint, packet (chiefly British), pile, wad
    related: heap, pot, bonanza, mine, treasure trove, assets, capital, means, property, riches, wealth, wherewithal, bread (slang), cash, chips, currency, dough, gold, jack (slang), legal tender, lucre, pelf, tender, wampum
    opposite: mite, peanuts, pittance, song
    near: petty cash, pin money, pocket money, spending money

Related Entry: Earth-shattering (adjective)

Earth-shattering is a different word from Earth. The synonyms below are for earth-shattering, not for earth.

  1. having great meaning or lasting effect

    "scientists have made a few minor discoveries in that area, but nothing earth-shattering"

    similar: big, consequential, earthshaking, eventful, historic, important, major, material, meaningful, momentous, monumental, much, significant, substantial, tectonic, weighty
    related: decisive, fatal, fateful, strategic, earnest, grave, heavy, serious, sincere, distinctive, exceptional, impressive, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, valuable, worthwhile, worthy, distinguished, eminent, great, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, preeminent, prestigious, famous, notorious, renowned, all-important, central, critical, crucial, essential, key, pivotal, seminal, vital
    opposite: inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, minor, negligible, slight, small, trifling, trivial, unimportant
    near: paltry, petty, worthless, anonymous, nameless, obscure, uncelebrated, unknown

Related Entry: Down-to-earth (adjective)

Down-to-earth is a different word from Earth. The synonyms below are for down-to-earth, not for earth.

  1. not having or showing any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness

    "we were all impressed by how down-to-earth the movie star turned out to be"

    similar: demure, humble, lowly, meek, modest, unassuming, unpretentious
    related: acquiescent, compliant, deferential, resigned, submissive, unaggressive, unassertive, yielding, cowering, cringing, shrinking, ingenuous, naive, plain, simple, unaffected, bashful, diffident, introverted, mousy, overmodest, passive, quiet, reserved, retiring, sheepish, shy, subdued, timid, unobtrusive, aw-shucks, self-deprecating, self-deprecatory, self-effacing
    opposite: arrogant, bumptious, chesty, conceited, egotistic, fastuous, haughty, highfalutin, high-and-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, hoity-toity, huffish, huffy, imperious, lordly, overweening, peremptory, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, supercilious, superior, toplofty, uppish, uppity
    near: aggressive, assertive, audacious, bold, brash, brassy, cheeky, forward, impertinent, impudent, saucy, cocksure, cocky, confident, hubristic, overconfident, self-confident, egocentric, egoistic, narcissistic, prideful, self-affected, self-centered, self-complacent, self-conceited, self-congratulatory, self-contented, self-engrossed, self-important, self-obsessed, self-pleased, self-satisfied, smug, stuck-up, swelled-headed, boastful, bombastic, braggy, swaggering, vain, vainglorious, condescending, disdainful, dominant, dominating, domineering, magisterial, overbearing, patronizing, pontificating, flamboyant, ostentatious, showy, extroverted, immodest, outgoing, uninhibited, unreserved

  2. willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly

    "a down-to-earth guidance counselor who is frank in telling students which colleges they're likely to get into"

    similar: earthy, hardheaded, matter-of-fact, practical, pragmatic, realistic
    related: idealless, philistine, utilitarian, commonsensical, grounded, levelheaded, logical, no-nonsense, rational, reasonable, sane, sensible, sober, sobersided, sound, bottom-line, hard, hard-boiled, hard-edged, tough-minded, unromantic, unsentimental, cynical, disillusioned, misanthropic, pessimistic, distrustful, mistrustful, skeptical, suspicious
    opposite: blue-sky, idealistic, impractical, unrealistic, utopian, visionary
    near: fanciful, fantastic, imaginative, romantic, sentimental, cheerful, optimistic, rose-colored, trustful, trusting, unsuspicious, half-baked, illogical, insane, irrational, unreasonable, theoretical

Related Entry: Earthlike (adjective)

Earthlike is a different word from Earth. The synonyms below are for earthlike, not for earth.

  1. consisting or suggestive of earth

    "the basket of garden-fresh mushrooms had that typically earthlike smell"

    similar: earthy, loamy
    related: clayey, dusty, muddy, sandy, silty

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Earth

The most common words with a similar meaning to Earth:

British: bomb
Chiefly British: packet
globe, planet, world, dirt, dust, ground, land, soil, terra firma, clod, mold, big bucks, boodle, bundle, fortune, king's ransom, megabucks, mint, pile, wad

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Earth

Words with the opposite meaning of Earth:

mite, peanuts, pittance, song

Related Words for Earth

cosmos, creation, nature, universe, ball, orb, sphere, macrocosm, microcosm, microcosmos, continent, landmass, zone, island, isthmus, mainland, peninsula, blackland, clay, gault, gley, guck, gumbo, kaolin, muck, mud, gravel, sand, humus, loam

Near Antonyms of Earth

petty cash, pin money, pocket money, spending money

Word Forms of Earth

Inflections: earthed, earthing, earths

Derived words: earthlike (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Earth

Middle English erthe, from Old English eorthe; akin to Old High German erda earth, Greek era

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Earth

Words & Phrases Containing Earth

earth color, earth mother, earth science, earth-shattering, earth-sheltered, earth station, earth tone, alkaline earth metal

Frequently Asked Questions about Earth

What does "Earth" mean?

"Earth" means the fragmental material composing part of the surface of the globe; especially, cultivable soil. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the fragmental material composing part of the surface of the globe; especially, cultivable soil. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Earth"?

Other words for "Earth" include globe, planet, world, dirt, dust, ground, land and soil. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Earth" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Earth"?

There are 89 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Earth". Common alternatives include globe, planet, world, dirt, dust, ground, land, soil, terra firma and clod.

What is the opposite of "Earth"?

Antonyms of "Earth" include mite, peanuts, pittance and song. Near antonyms include petty cash, pin money, pocket money and spending money.

How do you use "Earth" in a sentence?

Examples of "Earth" in a sentence: "environmentalists who are committed to preserving the earth"; "after nearly drowning, I was glad to feel the earth under my feet"; "set the plants deep enough into the earth so that they'll be sure to take root".

Is "Earth" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Earth" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Earth" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Earth" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Earth"?

"Earth" is pronounced /ˈərth/.