Aftermath Meaning
/ˈæf.tɚˌmæθ/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThat which happens after, that which follows, usually of strongly negative connotation in most contexts, implying a preceding catastrophe.
nounA second mowing; the grass which grows after the first crop of hay in the same season.
Sentence Examples
There was no electricity for two days in the aftermath of the typhoon.
Throughout the aftermath of the explosion, Jason's easiness unsettled the survivors.
A lot of rebuilding took place in the aftermath of the war.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ of the hurricane left the entire town without power for weeks.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The town was in shock in the ____ of the powerful earthquake.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep(o)teros Proto-Germanic *after Old English æfter Middle English after English after ▲ Old English æfter Old English æfter- Middle English after- English after- English math English aftermath From after- + math (“a mowing”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Fogel, working with a script by the journalist Kerry Howley, follows Winner from the age of nine to the aftermath of her plea, and organizes the movie around voice-over reminiscences by Reality (the character is played by Emilia Jones)."
— 2024 September 11, Richard Brody, ““Winner” Takes Political Comedy Seriously”, in The New Yorker, archived from the original on 20 Sep 2024:
"More than a quarter of a century after the fraught events that followed the privatisation of the railway, Corbett has provided a warts and all analysis of what led to the spate of rail disasters in the aftermath of the break-up of British Rail, and (ultimately) to the demise of the company."
— 2026 March 4, Christian Wolmar, “Railtrack: what really happened”, in RAIL, number 1056, page 50:
"They were cutting aftermath on all sides, which gave the neighbourhood, this gusty autumn morning, an untimely smell of hay."
— 1879, Robert Louis Stevenson, Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes:
Explore More C2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ of the hurricane left the entire town without power for weeks.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The town was in shock in the ____ of the powerful earthquake.