Dictionary

tidal wave en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• tīd'əl wāv
• /ˈtaɪdəlweɪv/

Meanings

1. A large and sudden rise and fall in the tide.
2. (proscribed) A large, sudden, and disastrous wave of water caused by a tremendous disturbance in the ocean; a tsunami. (See Usage notes below.)
   • The last tidal wave here killed twenty and left thousands homeless.
3. (proscribed) A large, sudden inundation of water from the storm surge, or waves of that surge; a sudden surge of river water.
   • During the day conditions worsened quickly—for example, a 2-6-0 on the Uckfield line suddenly encountered flood water high enough to enter its ashpan and extinguish its fire—until lock gates up-river at Barcombe gave way and a tidal wave rolled down the valley meeting head-on a spring tide rolling up from the coast. 1961 January, “Talking of Trains: Flooding at Lewes”, in Trains Illustrated, page 5:
4. (figuratively) A sudden and powerful surge.
   • But this is no stream, folks. This will be a tidal wave that can swamp our democracy. 2003, Michael Moore, chapter 3, in Dude, Where’s My Country:
   • As the doors opened, a tidal wave of people flooded into the room.
   • I was overcome by a tidal wave of emotions.
5. (archaic) A crest of ocean water; a wave.
6. A crest of ocean water resulting from tidal forces.

Forms

Relateds

flood · earthquake · tidal surge · tidal bore

Translations (96)

tl daluyong (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · nl golf (archaic: ocean wave) · pl fala pływowa (oceanography: crest of ocean water resulting from tidal forces) · lv cunami (tsunami) · sv flodvåg (tsunami) · vi thuỷ triều (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · ru прили́в (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · de Flutwelle (tsunami) · ru цуна́ми (tsunami) · fr raz-de-marée (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · nb flodbølge (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · da flodbølge (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · es aluvión (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · it tsunami (tsunami) · tr liman dalgası (tsunami) · lv paisuma vilnis (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · fi aalto (archaic: ocean wave) · hu fellángolás (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · fr tsunami (tsunami) · pl przypływ (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · es maremoto (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · ga tonn taoide (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · vi sóng thần (tsunami) · ru океани́ческая волна́ (archaic: ocean wave) · pl tsunami (tsunami) · tr gelgit dalgası (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · es ola de marea (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · fi vuorovesiaalto (oceanography: crest of ocean water resulting from tidal forces) · sv tsunami (tsunami) · ilo dalluyon (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · ga súnámaí (tsunami) · fi hyökyaalto (tsunami) · pt maremoto (tsunami) · cs přílivová vlna (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · hu nagy érzelmi hullám (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · sv flodvåg (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · haw kai eʻe (tsunami) · ga tonn tuile (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · de Tsunami (tsunami) · da flodbølge (tsunami) · fi tsunami (tsunami) · nl golf (oceanography: crest of ocean water resulting from tidal forces) · da tsunami (tsunami) · ko 해일 (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · ksc chakor wi tupiya (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · fi hyöky (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · tr tsunami (tsunami) · ja 潮波 (oceanography: crest of ocean water resulting from tidal forces) · nl vloedgolf (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · haw kai hoʻēʻe (tsunami) · cy llanwdon (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · nb flodbølge (tsunami) · it onda di marea (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · hu cunami (tsunami) · pt onda de maré (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · fi tulvavuoksi (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · sv tidvattenvåg (tsunami) · fi tulva (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · es oleada (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · cmn 海啸 (tsunami) · tl pabungkal-batang (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · nl vloedgolf (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · da flodbølge (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · ja 津波 (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · knb challuyon (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · no tidevannsbølge (oceanography: crest of ocean water resulting from tidal forces) · fr raz-de-marée (tsunami) · sv flodvåg (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · it marea (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · cmn 浪潮 (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · it maremoto (tsunami) · hu szökőár (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · it onda anomala (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · no tsunami (tsunami) · pl fala pływowa (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · ja 大変動 (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · nl vloedgolf (tsunami) · pl fala oceaniczna (archaic: ocean wave) · ksc challuyon (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · pt onda (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · ko 쓰나미 (tsunami) · pt tsunami (tsunami) · ja 大動揺 (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · nn flodbølgje (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · sv tidvattensvåg (tsunami) · nl tsunami (tsunami) · pl tsunami (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · ga muirbhrúcht (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · pl fala (figurative: sudden, powerful surge) · nn flodbølgje (tsunami) · bg при́ливна вълна́ (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · tr dev dalga (tsunami) · ru прили́вная волна́ (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · ja 津波 (tsunami) · ebk challoyon (large and sudden rise and fall in the tide) · it onda anomala (tsunami)