Standard Lemma guide

unearth

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ʌnˈɜː(ɹ)θ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)θ
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N ER1 TH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To drive or draw from the earth.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • to unearth a fox or a badger

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To dig up.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To uncover or find; to bring out from concealment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonym: discover
  • to unearth a secret

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bring to light, disclose, unfold, discover

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

recover through digging

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Schliemann excavated Troy
  • excavate gold

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: excavate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: uncover, bring out, unveil, reveal

Narrower terms: dig, dig up, dig out

5

verb

Meaning 5

bring to light

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The CIA unearthed a plot to kill the President

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: locate, turn up

History

Etymology

From un- + earth.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: откривам (otkrivam) — to uncover or find
  • Czech: odkrýt — to uncover or find
  • French: découvrir — to uncover or find
  • German: aufdecken — to uncover or find
  • Italian: scovare — to uncover or find
  • Māori: huke — to uncover or find
  • Māori: kōhure — to uncover or find
  • Turkish: bulmak — to uncover or find
  • Ottoman Turkish: كشف ایتمك (keşf etmek) — to uncover or find
  • Welsh: datguddio — to uncover or find
  • Aromanian: dizgrop — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Bulgarian: изравям (izravjam) — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Bulgarian: изкопавам (izkopavam) — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Czech: vydobýt — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Czech: vykopat — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Czech: vytěžit — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Danish: grave — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Dutch: opgraven — to dig up — see also dig up
  • French: déterrer — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Galician: desenterrar — to dig up — see also dig up
  • German: ausgraben — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Italian: dissotterrare — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Italian: disseppellire — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Portuguese: desenterrar — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Romanian: dezgropa — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Spanish: desenterrar — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Swedish: gräva — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Welsh: datgladdu — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Welsh: datguddio — to dig up — see also dig up
  • Zulu: -mba — to dig up — see also dig up