What does upheaving mean?
Upheaving most often denotes a forceful upward heaving or, figuratively, a process that violently disturbs an established order. It may describe physical movement, as when an earthquake upheaves soil or waves lift a boat, or it may evoke political, social, and cultural change. Its language is formal and often literary, giving it greater force and drama than terms such as "change" or "disturbance." In contemporary usage, "upheaving" frequently appears as a gerund, especially in combinations such as "political and social upheaving," while the related noun "upheaval" is more common. The word is useful when the disruption is not merely small or routine but strongly felt, as though the foundations of something are being lifted and rearranged. Although it can also function as a rare noun, its modern identity is primarily verbal.
To heave or lift forcefully upward, or figuratively to cause violent disturbance or radical change.
"The arrival of automation began upheaving the labour market."
Now especially common in the figurative present-participle form, as in "upheaving society."
An act or instance of forceful upward heaving; more rarely, a violent disturbance or radical change.
"The novel depicts the great upheaving that followed the collapse of the empire."
This noun use is relatively uncommon; "upheaval" is normally preferred.
The plural is regular but rarely needed because the noun itself is uncommon.
"The memoirs describe successive upheavings in family life and public affairs."
With its heavy, percussive sound, upheaving makes political and social disturbance feel like something violently lifted from below.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does upheaving come from?
Upheave was formed in the early modern period by combining "up" with "heave," a verb inherited from Old English and ultimately Germanic in origin. The underlying root is also reflected in words such as "heft" and "hefty," while its relatives survive in Dutch "heffen" and German "heben." The verb originally emphasised a strong upward lifting or heaving motion, from which its figurative sense of violent disturbance developed.
Related word forms
How upheaving is actually used
The word has a formal or literary tone. In its figurative sense, it is often used as a gerund in phrases such as "political and social upheaving," although the noun "upheaval" is more common.