What does "tide" mean?
The daily fluctuation in the level of the sea caused by the gravitational influence of the moon and the sun.
Tide
/taɪd/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The daily fluctuation in the level of the sea caused by the gravitational influence of the moon and the sun.
- Grammar: tide is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: affluence, afflux, affluxion, aid.
- Useful contrasts: abandon, anchor, ground.
- Usage evidence: Our boat drifted to shore on the tide.
How to use "tide"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tide" 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 "tide" 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 "tide" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tide" 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 "tide" 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 "affluence" 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 "tide", 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 The daily fluctuation in the level of the sea caused by the gravitational influence of the moon and the sun.
"The Bristol Channel has some of the world's largest tides."
- 2 the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon wordnet
- 3 The associated flow of water.
"A lot of driftwood was brought in on the tide."
- 4 something that may increase or decrease (like the tides of the sea) wordnet
- 5 Any similar gravitational effect on Earth or other body.
"As well as sea tides, there are much smaller land tides."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 there are usually two high and two low tides each day wordnet
- 7 A high-volume flow, literal or figurative; a current or flood.
"The sewer burst, and a tide of sewage poured into nearby properties."
- 8 The tendency or direction of causes, influences, or events; course; current.
"The tide of public opinion has turned."
- 9 Time, notably anniversary, period or season linked to an ecclesiastical feast. obsolete
"[...] and rest their weary limbs a tide."
- 10 A time. archaic, regional
"The doctor's no good this tide."
- 11 A point or period of time identified or described by a qualifier. archaic, in-compounds, regional
"Eventide, noontide, morrowtide, nighttide, moontide, harvesttide, wintertide, summertide, springtide, autumntide etc."
- 12 The period of twelve hours.
Verb
- 1 To cause to float with the tide; to drive or carry with the tide or stream. transitive
"They are tided down the stream."
- 2 To happen, occur. intransitive, obsolete
"I wit not what may tide us here"
- 3 be carried with the tide wordnet
- 4 To carry over or through a problem or difficulty. broadly
- 5 cause to float with the tide wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To pour a tide or flood. intransitive, rare
"The ocean tided most impressively."
- 7 rise or move forward wordnet
- 8 To work into or out of a river or harbor by drifting with the tide and anchoring when it becomes adverse. intransitive
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Our boat drifted to shore on the tide."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tide"?
Common synonyms include: affluence, afflux, affluxion, aid, big drink, blue water.
How do you use "tide" in a sentence?
Our boat drifted to shore on the tide.
How do you pronounce "tide"?
Pronounced /taɪd/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *deh₂y- Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *déh₂itis Proto-Germanic *tīdiz Proto-West Germanic *tīdi Old English tīd Middle English tyde English tide Inherited from Middle English tyde, from Old English tīd, from Proto-West Germanic *tīdi, from Proto-Germanic *tīdiz, from Proto-Indo-European *déh₂itis, from *deh₂y- + *-tis. Related to time.
Etymology 2
From Middle English tiden, tide, from Old English tīdan (“to happen”).