aftershock

1. (seismology) An earthquake that follows in the same vicinity as another, usually larger, earthquake (the "mainshock").Examples: "It was not a peace that brought joy – it was one that created an oppressive tension like the calm between a major earthquake and the aftershock."; "As aftershocks of 3.0 magnitude or higher continued to rock the area, rescuers transported over 50,000 people from the hardest-hit Luding county, according to local media"Synonyms: afterquakecountableuncountable

2. (figuratively) By extension, any result or consequence following a major event.Examples: "The collapse of the financial market sixty days later was the aftershock."; "Set in the 1950s, Badlands looks back to that period of malaise in American culture which was defined by the aftershock of world war, the fears engendered by the Cold War, and the questioning of both cultural and individual identity."; "On the other hand, in a global economy, many governments are seeking to limit their social costs in order to attract global corporations to invest in their countries, while also grappling with the aftershock of the banking crisis which has seen state financial support to the banking sector amount to L850 billion of guarantees and loans (National Audit Office, 2011)."countablefigurativelyuncountable