tide
/taɪd/ IELTSAcademic
noun
- 1.
The regular rise and fall of the sea, caused by the moon and the sun. It can also mean the water level at a particular time.
- The tide is coming in.
- We walked back before high tide.
- Fishing is better at low tide.
- 2.
A strong movement or trend that affects many people or things. It often suggests a force that is hard to stop.
- There is a tide of support for change.
- The tide of public opinion turned.
- They tried to fight the tide of events.
Adinary Nuance
Tide is more specific than wave. A wave is one moving rise of water, but a tide is the regular sea level change over time. It is also more concrete than current, which means moving water or a general flow. In figurative use, tide suggests a large force or trend that keeps moving.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- thủy triều
- Spanish
- marea
- Chinese
- 潮汐
- Japanese
- 潮
- Korean
- 조수
Etymology
Old English tīd meant 'time' or 'season'. The sea meaning developed later from the idea of a regular time or turn. It is related to old Germanic words for time.
Common phrases
high tidelow tidetide of opinionturn the tide
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between tide and wave?
- A tide is the regular rise and fall of sea level. A wave is a moving part of water on the surface.
- Is tide used in formal writing?
- Yes. It is common in both everyday speech and formal writing, especially about the sea or change.
- What does 'turn the tide' mean?
- It means to change a bad situation into a better one, or reverse the direction of events.
- Can tide be used for opinions or trends?
- Yes. People often say 'the tide of opinion' or 'a tide of change'.