earthly
gb/ˈɚθli/ us/ˈɚθli/
B2
English
~ 3800
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
Relating to the physical world
About the world we live in and human life, not about heaven or the spirit.
Usage pattern:
[something] is earthly
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'earthly' with 'earthlike', but 'earthly' usually refers to the human, physical world, not resemblance to the planet.
Synonyms
worldly (Often implies focus on material or practical matters rather than spiritual ones.)
Antonyms
heavenly (Refers to things related to heaven or the spiritual realm, opposite of physical or worldly.)
Collocations
earthly pleasures
|earthly possessions
|earthly concerns
|earthly life
Themes
philosophy
|religion
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She gave up all earthly possessions to join the monastery.
- The novel explores both earthly struggles and spiritual questions.
- His earthly duties kept him from traveling abroad.
- They spoke of earthly pleasures like food and music.
- Earthly concerns seemed trivial after the accident.
Learner examples
- We all have earthly needs like food and water.
- He left his job to forget earthly problems.
- They talked about earthly life and death.
- Money is an earthly thing.
- Earthly goods are not the most important.
adjective
C1
property
2
Possible in real life
Used to mean 'possible' in real life, often in questions or when surprised.
Usage pattern:
any/no earthly [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this sense in formal writing; it is more common in speech or informal contexts.
Synonyms
possible (A general term for something that can happen; 'earthly' adds emphasis.)
Antonyms
impossible (Means something cannot happen or exist.)
Collocations
no earthly reason
|any earthly chance
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I can't think of any earthly reason why she would lie.
- There was no earthly chance of them finishing on time.
- What earthly good will this do?
- He had no earthly idea what she meant.
Learner examples
- I have no earthly idea why he is late.
- There is no earthly way we can finish today.
- What earthly good will it do?
- There is no earthly reason to be angry.
Grammar
Dictionary form
earthly
IPA
GB/ˈɚθli/
US/ˈɚθli/
Syllables & stress
earthly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (earthly)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: earthly
Word family
Core family
Related words
earthen
adjective
earthiness
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unearthly
adjective
Advanced or less common
earthling
noun
Expressions
earthly possessions
1/ˈɚθli pəzˈɛʃənz/
fixed phrase
Material belongings in life
All the things a person owns in this life.
Examples
- He sold all his earthly possessions before moving abroad.
- Her earthly possessions were few but precious.
no earthly idea
1/nˈoʊ ˈɚθli aɪdˈiə/
fixed phrase
informal
No knowledge at all
Used to say you do not know something at all.
Examples
- I have no earthly idea what you're talking about.
- She had no earthly idea where he had gone.
no earthly reason
1/nˈoʊ ˈɚθli ɹˈizən/
fixed phrase
No possible justification exists
There is no possible reason for something.
Examples
- There is no earthly reason for you to be upset about this.
- I can see no earthly reason why we should refuse.