hypocenter

noun

hy·​po·​cen·​ter ˈhī-pə-ˌsen-tər 

1

: the focus of an earthquake compare epicenter sense 1

2

: the point on the earth's surface directly below the center of a nuclear bomb explosion

hypocentral

ˌhī-pə-ˈsen-trəl 

adjective

Examples of hypocenter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The schoolchildren of Minab had been close to mind in part because of my strong and difficult memories of touring the still-operational Shiroyama Elementary School in Nagasaki, which had been five hundred meters from the hypocenter. — Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026

That underground starting point is known as the hypocenter or focus. — Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

At the speed of light, a trillion of them passed through those near the bomb’s hypocenter. — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025

This created a fireball that bathed everything within about a two kilometer radius of the hypocenter in about 3–4,000℃ heat. — Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hypocenter

• epicenter
• multicenter
• center
• centre
• enter
• renter
• stentor
• dissenter
• frequenter
• indenter
• inventor
• precentor