noun
surge
surj
noun
1
A sudden, powerful increase or rush.
"There was a surge in demand for face masks in 2020."
"A surge of adrenaline helped her finish the race."
2
A sudden spike in electrical voltage or current.
"The power surge fried his laptop charger."
verb
1
To increase or move forward suddenly and powerfully.
"Prices surged after the announcement."
"The crowd surged toward the exits."
How to Use Surge
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA sudden, forceful increase — in emotion, numbers, electricity, or movement.
Common pairings
a surge in prices
power surge
surge forward
a surge of emotion
Word Forms
surged past tense, surges plural, surges plural, surges singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “surge”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
There was a _____ in demand for face masks in 2020.
Etymology
From Old French surgir ("to rise, arrive by sea"), ultimately from Latin surgere ("to rise up") — related to "resurgent" and "insurgent".