wave
noun /weɪv/
/weɪv/
Idioms 
enlarge image[countable] a raised line of water that moves across the surface of the sea, ocean, etc.- Huge waves were breaking on the shore.
- Surfers flocked to the beach to ride the waves.
- the gentle sound of waves lapping
- The wind made little waves on the pond.
- in the waves Children were playing in the waves.
- on the waves Seagulls bobbed on the waves.
Wordfindersee also tidal wave- beach
- coast
- harbour
- pier
- sandbank
- sea
- shoreline
- surf
- tide
- wave
Extra Examples- All you could hear was the lapping of the waves.
- He swam headlong into the oncoming wave.
- I could hear the waves crash against the rocks.
- She loved surfing the giant waves of the sea.
- The waves hit the rocks with huge energy.
- There were seagulls bobbing on the waves.
- These boats aren't strong enough to withstand rogue waves.
- We watched the waves breaking on the shore.
- the gentle sound of waves lapping the sand
- the roar of ocean waves
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- enormous
- giant
- …
- ride
- surf
- catch
- …
- rise
- break
- fall
- …
- energy
- power
- in the waves
- on the waves
- the crash of the waves
- the crashing of the waves
- the lap of the waves
- …
enlarge image[countable] the form that some types of energy such as heat, sound, light, etc. take as they move- electromagnetic/gravity/ultrasonic waves
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- acoustic
- electromagnetic
- gravitational
- …
- emit
- generate
- deflect
- …
- travel
- bounce off something
- [countable] a movement of your arm and hand from side to side
- with a wave She declined the offer with a wave of her hand.
- With a wave and a shout he ran down the road to meet us.
- He gave us a wave as the bus drove off.
- She managed a wave to her disappointed supporters as she left.
Extra Examples- He dismissed her thanks with a quick wave of the hand.
- I returned his wave and started to walk towards him.
- She gave a dismissive wave of her hand.
- He gave a wave as the bus moved off.
- She sent him away with a wave of her hand.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- quick
- little
- slight
- …
- give (somebody)
- return
- with a wave
- wave of
- the wave[singular] (North American English)(British English Mexican wave [countable])a continuous movement that looks like a wave on the sea, made by a large group of people, especially people watching a sports game, when one person after another stands up, raises their arms, and then sits down again
- [countable] a sudden increase in a particular activity or feeling
- wave of something Insurgents launched a wave of attacks against the security forces.
- Wave after wave of attacks rocked the city.
- a wave of protests/strikes/scandals
- a wave of violence/unrest
- There has been a new wave of bombings since the peace talks broke down.
- A wave of fear swept over him.
- A wave of panic spread through the crowd.
- in waves Guilt and horror flooded her in waves.
- in a wave Exhaustion hit him in a wave.
- Three hundred employees lost their jobs in the latest wave of redundancies.
Extra Examples- A wave of relief washed over him as he saw that the children were safe.
- Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.
- How do we catch the next great wave of innovation?
- I feel a wave of panic flow through me.
- The attack unleashed a wave of terror in the city.
- The news sent a wave of relief through the crowd.
- This tendency has generated a new wave of company mergers.
- With the fall of the Bastille in 1789, a wave of euphoria swept Europe.
- swept along on a wave of critical acclaim
- the current wave of business scandals
- A wave of violence swept the country.
- I experienced a huge wave of emotion when I saw her.
- Suddenly a wave of guilt washed over her.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- enormous
- great
- …
- send
- cause
- create
- …
- sweep something
- sweep over something
- wash over somebody/something
- …
- wave of
- on a wave
- [countable] a large number of people or things suddenly moving or appearing somewhere
- Wave after wave of aircraft passed overhead.
Extra Examples- successive waves of immigrants
- the first wave of immigration in the 1950s
- a big wave of refugees
- [countable] if a person’s hair has a wave or waves, it is not straight but slightly curly see also permanent waveTopics Appearancec1
- the waves[plural] (literary) the sea
- life on the waves (= life at sea)
see also wavy
of water
of heat/sound/light
movement of arm/hand/body
of activity/feeling
large number
in hair
sea
Word OriginOld English wafian (verb), from the Germanic base of waver; the noun by alteration (influenced by the verb) of Middle English wawe ‘(sea) wave’.
Idioms
the crest of a/the wave
- a situation in which somebody is very successful, happy, etc.
- They’ve been on the crest of the wave ever since their election victory.
- She is on the crest of a wave at the moment following her Olympic success.
- They are riding the crest of the wave at the moment.
make waves
- (informal) to be very active in a way that makes people notice you, and that may sometimes cause problems
ride a/the wave of something
- to enjoy or be supported by the particular situation or quality mentioned
- Schools are riding a wave of renewed public interest.