Definition
A surge is the sea's way of moving — not a drip or a climb but a single massed arrival. The Latin surgere, 'to rise', also fathered 'resurgence' and 'insurgent', and every sense keeps the wave inside it: a surge in demand, a surge of adrenaline, a power surge, floodwater surging through the streets. What distinguishes a surge from a mere increase is that it comes all at once and carries things with it — everything floating on that water rides the wave, whether it chooses to or not.
Examples
- The university saw a surge in applications after the rankings were published.
- A surge of adrenaline carried her through the final kilometer.
- Floodwater surged through the lower streets within minutes of the dam failing.
Collocations
a surge in demand·a power surge·a surge of adrenaline·surge forward·a storm surge
Synonyms
spike·upsurge·rush·swell·leap
Antonyms
slump·decline·ebb
Word family
surge (verb)·surging (adjective)·resurgence (noun)
In TOEFL & IELTS
For IELTS Task 1, 'surged' is the strongest verb on the shelf for a steep climb — keep it for genuinely dramatic rises and pair it with its opposite 'slumped'. TOEFL earth-science passages use 'storm surge' as a technical term in hurricane and flooding texts. 'A surge in/of X' works for demand, interest, prices, and emotion alike, which makes it one of the most reusable noun patterns in exam writing.