tidal wave of emotions
- noun
:
oleada de emociones
- As the music played, a tidal wave of emotions washed over the crowd, leaving many in tears.
Examples
-
He let down the barrier he had erected for the evening, and a tidal wave of emotions flooded him, causing him to gasp and then sob with pain.
Fiction book (1992) -
When she heard the news, a tidal wave of emotions rushed over her, making it hard to breathe.
-
After reading the letter, he was hit by a tidal wave of emotions that brought tears to his eyes.
Synonyms
57
3.5
A short, strong period of activity or feeling
5
5.3
A sudden strong feeling such as anger or excitement
4
3.6
A sudden very strong emotion or reaction that affects many people
3
9.9
A sudden strong burst of feeling, for example coughing or laughter
1
3.6
A sudden strong feeling that is hard to control
1
7.2
A sudden strong feeling that comes up in a person
1
6.9
A sudden strong increase in feeling or support
A sudden short time when many strong feelings happen at once
How Intense
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a sudden and overwhelming surge of strong feelings' can be directly inferred by combining 'tidal' (relating to large, periodic ocean movements) with 'wave' (a large surge) and linking it to 'emotions' — a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can map the concrete surge metaphor onto feelings. This metaphorical pattern (using a large natural surge to describe intensity of feeling) is cross-linguistically common and follows productive English composition, making the expression readily comprehensible.
Etymology
Tidal wave of emotions comes from the image of a huge tidal wave, a fast, powerful sea wave that suddenly crashes onto the land. Just as the water 'overwhelms' everything in its path, the phrase now means 'a sudden and overwhelming surge of strong feelings'.