Groundswell

noun

noun ·2 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A broad undulation of the open ocean, often as the result of a distant disturbance.
  2. 2
    A broadly-based shifting of public opinion. broadly

    "An astonishing groundswell of support for the new Democratic frontrunner, Barack Obama, is threatening to sweep Hillary Clinton away in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary election of the 2008 presidential contest tomorrow."

Example

More examples

"The groundswell of support kept his campaign afloat."

Etymology

From ground + swell.

Related phrases

public opinion

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.