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wave

wave

790 1.0
A moving ridge of water or a traveling motion such as sound and light
  • noun
  • /weɪv/
: onda
  • Big waves came up and flooded the whole city.
  • sound waves
  • light waves
  • electromagnetic wave

Show me the waves and let them flow.

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Examples

  • Next you have Calm Sea Waves, which sounds like this.

  • The mast was straight; the waves were regular; the lighthouse was upright; but the blot had spread.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Show me the waves and let them flow.

  • Another lies on the wave with her back to us.

  • Yep, these are big waves, big waves.

  • We also were jumping in the waves purposely.

  • You can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf.

  • The rampage reportedly continued in waves all afternoon along Ipanema and Copacabana beaches.

    Academic text (2012)
  • The seismic surveys use devices that record sonic waves reflected from rock formations.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The children laughed as they played in the surf, jumping over the waves that rolled onto the beach.

Synonyms

swell
vswave
  • Literature
36 5.7

A long smooth wave on the open sea that moves steadily

is broader, also referring to small or non-sea scientific disturbances
billow
vswave
  • Literature
6 7.4

A large rolling wave on the sea

is the neutral scientific and everyday term for similar movements
undulation
vswave
3 7.5

A smooth, wavy shape or movement like small waves

is specific to water and travelling scientific disturbances rather than any shape
wavelet
vswave
1 8.1

A small wave on the surface of water made by wind or an object

is used for both larger and non-water travelling disturbances as well
ground swell
vswave
1 6.9

A long deep wave in the sea from storms far away or earthquakes

is more general, also including local and scientific travelling disturbances
roller
vswave
1 4.4

A long heavy sea wave that rolls toward the shore

covers both rolling and non-rolling rising motions beyond shore cases
moving ridge
vswave
5.3

A long raised area of water that moves across the surface

also covers smooth shapes and scientific disturbances like sound or light

Antonyms

106 1.0

A quiet, peaceful feeling that helps you stay steady

35 3.5

A time of complete quiet and no movement that feels calm

Idioms

To use a current trend or chance while it lasts to get advantage

5 5.8

Make something happen quickly and without effort

4 4.0

To stop trying and accept that you lost

to catch a wave
  • Informal
1 6.9

To use a rising trend or new interest to grow quickly

1 4.5

At the highest point of success or popularity for someone

To suddenly feel a very strong emotion that you cannot control

To gain from a sudden rise in public interest

Compounds

43 3.2

A period of very hot weather that lasts several days

shock wave
  • Specialized
36 4.0

A sudden strong wave of air and energy that moves away from an explosion or impact

34 4.9

A group of artists or writers who introduce new ideas and styles

brain wave
  • Specialized
33 4.0

A pattern of electrical activity in the brain seen on an EEG

radio wave
  • Specialized
23 3.2

A wave of invisible energy that sends signals to radios and phones

sound wave
  • Specialized
23 3.5

A pattern of vibrations that moves through air, water, or solids and carries sound

22 3.6

A sudden very strong emotion or reaction that affects many people

18 3.2

A very large wave of water that suddenly rises along the coast and causes damage

15 3.4

A sudden rise in crime in an area in a short time

carrier wave
  • Specialized
7 6.1

Radio wave that carries information when its strength, rate, or timing is changed

gravitational wave
  • Specialized
6 7.2

A ripple in space and time made by very strong events like colliding black holes

wave function
  • Specialized
5 6.5

A math rule that shows how a wave moves and its size

electromagnetic wave
  • Specialized
5 4.2

A wave of energy made of changing electric and magnetic fields that travels at the speed of light

short wave
  • Specialized
4 4.9

A radio wave that travels long distances and carries international broadcasts

blast wave
  • Specialized
4 7.2

A moving area of very high pressure in air after an explosion

sine wave
  • Specialized
4 5.1

A smooth repeating wave that goes up and down in a regular curved line

theta wave
  • Specialized
4 7.7

A slow, low energy brain rhythm that appears when a person is awake but relaxed or drowsy

alpha wave
  • Specialized
4 6.4

A brain rhythm you have when you are awake and relaxed, often when you close your eyes or meditate

gravity wave
  • Specialized
4 8.8

A wave in space that makes space and time stretch when very heavy things move, like two black holes colliding

delta wave
  • Specialized
3 7.2

A slow, large brain wave that appears during deep, dreamless sleep

soliton wave
  • Specialized
2 9.9

A single wave that keeps its shape while moving at steady speed in some materials

long wave
  • Specialized
2 5.9

A type of radio signal with waves longer than one kilometre used for long distance broadcasting

2 7.5

A movement in 1950s and 1960s French films that used new ways of telling stories and showing images

wave front
  • Specialized
2 6.1

A surface that joins points a wave reaches at the same time, like light or sound

A small movement of the hand to say hello and show kindness

1 6.6

A small greeting or goodbye made by moving the fingers

standing wave
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A wave pattern with some points that stay still while parts between them move up and down

wave-off
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A signal to stop an approach and try again

beta wave
  • Specialized
1 5.1

A fast brainwave that appears when you are awake and thinking

acoustic wave
  • Specialized
1 4.5

A wave that carries sound through air, water, or a solid by vibrations

wave function
  • Specialized
1 8.0

A math rule in quantum physics that shows how likely a particle is to be in a certain place

A sudden large amount of criticism aimed at someone or something

wave theory
  • Specialized
1 5.6

The idea that light and energy move as waves rather than particles

air wave
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A wave of moving air that carries sound

1 3.0

A long heavy wave in the sea that moves toward the shore

1 4.0

A long period of much colder than usual weather that affects a large area

wave equation
  • Specialized
1 7.3

An equation that shows how waves such as light and sound move through space and materials

wave number
  • Specialized
1 7.8

A count of repeating movements per metre of light or sound

wave mechanics
  • Specialized
1 8.8

A part of physics that explains atoms and very small particles as waves

traveling wave
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A wave that moves through something and carries energy along its path

wave-particle duality
  • Specialized
1 9.6

A physics idea that light and matter act like waves and particles when you look at them

A long-lasting set of curls in hair made with heat and chemicals

wave shape
  • Specialized
1 5.8

The line on a graph that shows how a sound or signal changes over time

wave train
  • Specialized
1 7.3

A group of similar waves that follow each other at regular times

medium wave
  • Specialized
1 4.5

A radio band used for AM broadcasts with long waves that travel far at night

1 8.1

A bright red color that fills the sky at sunrise or sunset

wave angle
  • Specialized
1 7.3

The direction from which ocean waves approach the shore, measured from the shoreline

A sudden very strong feeling that you cannot control

1 4.1

A wave in the sea that has white foam and bubbles

wave theory of light
  • Specialized
1 4.9

A scientific idea that light moves as waves and makes bright and dark patterns

1 9.9

An equation that shows how tiny particles behave over time

marcel wave
  • Archaic
1 9.7

A hairstyle with deep, regular waves made with a hot curling iron

full-wave rectifier
  • Specialized
1 5.4

A device that changes electricity that goes back and forth into a steady positive flow

Hertzian wave
  • Archaic
1 8.1

An old name for a radio wave made by fast changes in an electric circuit

ground wave
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A radio wave that travels along the Earth's surface and follows its curve

stationary wave
  • Specialized
1 7.9

A pattern where some points stay still and others vibrate strongly on a string or in air

solitary wave
  • Specialized
1 9.8

A single wave that travels long distances without changing shape or losing energy

A wave that travels faster than the speed of sound in air or other materials

ionospheric wave
  • Specialized
1 8.5

A radio wave sent into the sky that bounces off the ionosphere back to Earth

A sudden large number of people protesting at the same time

traveling wave
  • Specialized
7.0

A moving pattern of brain activity that travels across different areas

sky wave
  • Specialized
7.8

A radio wave that bounces off the high air layer or a satellite back to the ground to travel far

wave angle
  • Specialized
7.2

The direction at which a radio signal comes to or leaves an antenna array, measured from the antenna's axis

widdle wave
  • Baby Talk
9.9

A small playful hand movement to say hello or show affection

How Big

tsunami
152 4.9
swell
  • Literature
36 5.7
wave
790 1.0
breaker
16 4.7
ripple
28 2.6

Surface Forms

wave singular
waves plural

Etymology

Wave comes from an old word meaning 'to move back and forth', much like the English word weave. So a water wave is a rising and falling movement of water or energy that moves through a medium.