groundswell.

1. A strong and increasing wave of public opinion or support.

2. A broad ocean swell produced by a distant storm or strong wind.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• groundswell of support
• groundswell of opposition

On the page

A groundswell of support saved the library from closure.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Singular groundswell; plural groundswells. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common.