MEANING
1. A series of sea waves caused by a sudden large displacement of water, often during an undersea earthquake.
2. An overwhelming amount of something arriving or occurring in a short time.
Use it for
naming waves generated by seabed movement; distinguishing earthquake waves from storm surf; describing a major coastal inundation hazardNames an ocean-displacement wave series, not an ordinary storm wave or a tide. Writing functions: Large ocean disturbance / Overwhelming influx.
Words that belong together
- a tsunami warning
- a tsunami wave
- tsunami evacuation
On the page
The island practiced a tsunami evacuation before the tourist season.
The first tsunami wave was not the largest to reach the harbor.
The announcement triggered a tsunami of cancellation requests.
A tsunami of new data overwhelmed the small research team.
Word forms
- Base
- tsunami
Usage notes
Countable noun: tsunami, tsunamis; the unchanged plural tsunami also occurs. Register: neutral. Commonness: common (dictionary-informed qualitative editorial estimate; not a measured frequency).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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