What does "surge" mean?
A sudden transient rush, flood or increase.
Surge
/sɝd͡ʒ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A sudden transient rush, flood or increase.
- Grammar: surge is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: rush, aalto, abrupt spike, abundance increase.
- Useful contrasts: apathy, calm, calmness.
- Usage evidence: It is expected that the tsunami surge will be ten meters or less.
How to use "surge"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "surge" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "surge" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "surge" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "surge" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "surge" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "rush" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "surge", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A sudden transient rush, flood or increase.
"As President Obama turns his attention once again to filling out a cabinet and writing an Inaugural Address, this much is clear: he should not expect to bask in a surge of national unity, or to witness a crowd of millions overrun the Mall just to say they were there."
- 2 a sudden or abrupt strong increase wordnet
- 3 The maximum amplitude of a vehicle's forward/backward oscillation.
- 4 a large sea wave wordnet
- 5 A sudden electrical spike or increase of voltage and current.
"A power surge at that generator created a blackout across the whole district."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a sudden forceful flow wordnet
- 7 A momentary reversal of the airflow through the compressor section of a jet engine due to disruption of the airflow entering the engine's air intake, accompanied by loud banging noises, emission of flame, and temporary loss of thrust.
- 8 The swell or heave of the sea (FM 55-501).
"He that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed."
- 9 A deployment in large numbers at short notice. US, attributive, often
"surge capacity; surge fleet; surge deployment capabilities"
- 10 A spring; a fountain. obsolete
"1523-1525, John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners, Froissart's Chronicles all great rivers are gorged and assembled of various surges and springs of water"
- 11 The tapered part of a windlass barrel or a capstan, upon which the cable surges, or slips.
Verb
- 1 To rush, flood, or increase suddenly. intransitive
"Toaster sales surged last year."
- 2 see one's performance improve wordnet
- 3 To accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly.
"A ship surges forwards, sways sideways and heaves up."
- 4 rise or heave upward under the influence of a natural force such as a wave wordnet
- 5 To experience a momentary reversal of airflow through the compressor section due to disruption of intake airflow. intransitive
"Use of maximum reverse thrust at low speeds can cause the engine to surge from ingesting its own exhaust."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 rise or move forward wordnet
- 7 To slack off a line. transitive
- 8 rise rapidly wordnet
- 9 rise and move, as in waves or billows wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"It is expected that the tsunami surge will be ten meters or less."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "surge"?
Common synonyms include: rush, aalto, abrupt spike, abundance increase, access, accession.
How do you use "surge" in a sentence?
It is expected that the tsunami surge will be ten meters or less.
How do you pronounce "surge"?
Pronounced /sɝd͡ʒ/.
Etymology
From Middle English surgen, possibly from Middle French sourgir, from Old French surgir (“to rise, ride near the shore, arrive, land”), from Old Catalan surgir, from Latin surgō, contraction of surrigō, subrigō (“lift up, raise, erect; intransitive rise, arise, get up, spring up, grow, etc.”, transitive verb), from sub (“from below; up”) + regō (“to stretch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti (“to straighten; right”), from the root *h₃reǵ-; see regent. Doublet of source and sourd.