surge
surge — noun
1. an occasion when a measured figure, such as the price of a product, the level of
an occasion when a measured figure, such as the price of a product, the level of demand, or the size of a population, rises sharply and unexpectedly
The city saw a surge in house prices after the new train station opened.
surge in [noun]: rise in prices, demand, etc.
A sudden surge in demand left the bakery with empty shelves by noon.
The company reported a surge in sales after releasing its new phone model.
surge in sales / demand / prices
The surge in online orders forced the warehouse to hire extra staff.
There has been a surge in applications for this nursing programme.
typical collocation: surge in applications
- surge in demand
- surge in prices
- surge in sales
- surge in applications
- sudden surge
- dramatic surge
Grammar Patterns
surge + in/of + noun
Usage Note
Frequently followed by 'in' to specify what is rising ('surge in prices', 'surge in demand'). Can also take 'of' for the amount or thing itself ('a surge of electricity').
Common Mistakes
2. a sudden strong forward movement of a mass of people or a body of water
a sudden strong forward movement of a mass of people or a body of water
The crowd moved forward in a surge toward the stage when the band appeared.
surge of [group]: forward movement of people
A surge of protesters flooded the main square after the announcement.
The police held the barrier against the surge of people pushing ahead.
surge of people / water / protesters
As the doors opened, a surge of passengers rushed onto the platform.
- surge of people
- surge of water
- surge of fans
- surge of protesters
- surge of customers
Grammar Patterns
surge + of + noun (group/water)
Usage Note
Often followed by 'of' plus a noun describing what is moving ('surge of fans', 'surge of water'). The focus is on the force and speed of the movement, not the distance travelled.
3. a sudden strong feeling that arrives and takes hold of someone
a sudden strong feeling that arrives and takes hold of someone
Adaeze felt a surge of pride when her daughter received the award.
surge of pride / anger / hope / relief
A surge of anger swept through Ishaan when he heard the unfair news.
Élise experienced a sudden surge of hope as the doctor smiled at her.
Brian felt a surge of relief when he found his wallet under the car seat.
- surge of pride
- surge of anger
- surge of hope
- surge of relief
- surge of excitement
- surge of sadness
Grammar Patterns
surge + of + emotion noun
Usage Note
Common with emotion nouns like 'anger', 'pride', 'hope', 'relief', 'excitement', 'sadness'. The feeling is portrayed as arriving suddenly and with force, like a physical wave.
Common Mistakes
4. a tall mass of sea water that rises up and rolls forward with great force
a tall mass of sea water that rises up and rolls forward with great force
The fishing boat was lifted by a massive surge of dark ocean water.
storm surge / surge of water
A powerful surge crashed against the rocks, sending white spray into the air.
The storm surge flooded the coastal roads and damaged several seaside houses.
compound: storm surge
Liam watched the surge roll toward the shore from the safety of the cliff.
- storm surge
- tidal surge
- massive surge
- powerful surge
- surge of water
- surge of the sea
Grammar Patterns
storm surge
tidal surge
surge + of + water
Usage Note
Often used in compounds with 'storm' or 'tidal' to indicate the cause ('storm surge', 'tidal surge'). The word carries a sense of danger or natural force.
5. a short, sharp rise in the electrical current or voltage running through a circu
a short, sharp rise in the electrical current or voltage running through a circuit or system
A power surge during the storm destroyed Christopher's computer and printer.
compound: power surge
The electrician installed a device to protect the house from sudden power surges.
Mateo lost all his work when a surge knocked out the office computers.
The lights flickered and died after an electrical surge hit the apartment building.
electrical surge: technical variant
- power surge
- electrical surge
- voltage surge
- surge protector
- surge damage
- sudden surge
- power spike
a very short, sharp surge; more technical than 'power surge'
- overload
a situation where too much current flows; different cause but similar effect
Grammar Patterns
power surge
electrical surge
surge + in + power supply
Usage Note
Often forms the compound noun 'power surge'. Common verbs used with it include 'hit', 'damage', 'knock out', and 'protect against'.
Common Mistakes
surge — verb
1. to go up suddenly to a much higher level, often after a period of staying steady
to go up suddenly to a much higher level, often after a period of staying steady
House prices surged across the region after the new highway was built.
surge + by [amount] / past [level] / to [value]
The company profits surged by forty percent in the last quarter alone.
As temperatures surged past forty degrees, the city opened cooling centres.
Enrolment at the local college surged after they cut tuition fees by half.
Demand for electric cars surged when new tax breaks were introduced.
typical subject: demand, prices, sales, population
- prices surge
- demand surges
- sales surge
- profits surge
- surge by
- surge to
- surge past
Grammar Patterns
surge + adverb (by/up/past)
surge + to + amount
Usage Note
Subject is usually a quantity or statistic (prices, demand, population, profits). Commonly followed by an amount or percentage ('surge by 20%', 'surge to a record high').
Common Mistakes
2. to rush forward all at once as a large group or mass
to rush forward all at once as a large group or mass
The crowd surged forward when the gates finally opened at eight o'clock.
surge forward / through / past / into
Water surged through the broken dam and flooded the fields below.
Fans surged onto the football pitch after the home team scored the winning goal.
Protesters surged past the barriers and gathered in front of city hall.
- crowd surges
- water surges
- surge forward
- surge through
- surge into
- surge past
Grammar Patterns
surge + adverb (forward/through/past/into)
Usage Note
Typically followed by a direction adverb ('forward', 'through', 'past', 'into'). The subject is usually a crowd of people or a large body of water.
Common Mistakes
3. if a feeling surges, it arrives suddenly and fills a person with great force
if a feeling surges, it arrives suddenly and fills a person with great force
A deep sadness surged through Asher when he saw the empty house.
emotion + surge through/within/up
Excitement surged within Yuna as she opened the letter from the university.
Anger surged inside Apinya when she realised someone had taken her bag.
Hope surged in Omar's chest as the rescue team called his name.
- anger surges
- excitement surges
- hope surges
- sadness surges
- pride surges
- surge through
- surge within
- well up
suggests the feeling builds gradually inside; less sudden than 'surge'
- sweep over
like a wave passing over someone; slightly more dramatic
- rise
neutral and broad; does not imply suddenness
Grammar Patterns
emotion + surge + adverb (through/within/up)
Usage Note
Subject is always an abstract noun for a feeling (anger, excitement, hope, sadness, pride, relief). Followed by a prepositional phrase showing where the feeling is felt ('through', 'within', 'inside', 'in').
Common Mistakes
4. to rise up and then fall back in a powerful rolling motion, used of the sea or a
to rise up and then fall back in a powerful rolling motion, used of the sea or a large body of water
The sea surged against the harbour wall during the terrible winter storm.
[sea/ocean/river] surging against/over/up
Dark water surged over the deck as the boat rocked from side to side.
Waves surged along the coastline, washing away sand and pieces of driftwood.
The river surged over its banks after three days of non-stop heavy rain.
- sea surges
- waves surge
- river surges
- surge against
- surge over
- surge up
Grammar Patterns
[body of water] + surge + adverb
Usage Note
Subject is always water-related (sea, ocean, waves, river, floodwater). More formal and literary than other senses. Not used for people or vehicles.
Word family
- surgingadjectiveC1
- upsurgenounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All four words describe something going up, but they differ in speed, shape, and register. 'Increase' is the most neutral and general — it can describe any upward change, slow or fast, big or small ('a steady increase in temperature'). 'Rise' is similar but slightly more natural when something goes up over time ('a rise in unemployment'). 'Surge' adds suddenness and force — it implies a short, powerful upward movement that catches people by surprise ('a surge in demand for masks'). 'Spike' is more technical and suggests a narrow, sharp peak that goes up and then back down quickly ('a spike in blood pressure'). 'Jump' is the most informal and suggests a single big change noticeable at one point ('a jump in stock prices'). For everyday conversation, 'jump' works well; for formal or written English, 'surge' and 'spike' are better. Use 'increase' or 'rise' when you simply need a neutral word for an upward trend.
Common collocations
Etymology
Surge comes from the Latin verb 'surgere', meaning 'to rise, to spring up'. This was formed by joining 'sub-' (meaning 'up from below') with 'regere' (meaning 'to lead, to keep straight'). The word entered English through Old French 'sourgir', meaning 'to rise or spring forth'. For centuries it was mainly used for the movement of the sea. The metaphorical use for a sudden increase in numbers or feelings appeared in the 1500s. The electrical sense — a brief jump in power — developed in the early 1900s as electrical systems became common.