surge

The word “surge” means a sudden, powerful increase or rush. In plain terms, a sudden, forceful increase — in emotion, numbers, electricity, or movement.

“Surge” is pronounced surj (/sɝd͡ʒ/ in IPA).

Here is “surge” used in a sentence: “There was a surge in demand for face masks in 2020.”

Words with a similar meaning to “surge” include inrush.

Depending on how it is used, “surge” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “surge” comes from Latin. From Old French surgir ("to rise, arrive by sea"), ultimately from Latin surgere ("to rise up") — related to "resurgent" and "insurgent".

“Surge” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Surge” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a sudden, powerful increase or rush.

A surge is a sudden, powerful increase or rush, often implying a forceful, sustained push forward, while a spike is a sharp but usually brief and narrow jump in a value before it may fall back down. Both describe sudden increases, but "surge" carries more sense of ongoing momentum than a single sharp peak.

A power surge refers to the sense of "surge" meaning a sudden spike in electrical voltage or current, which can potentially damage electronic devices. This is distinct from the more general sense of surge as any sudden, powerful increase.

A surge, in the electrical sense, is the sudden spike in voltage or current itself, while a surge protector is a device designed to guard equipment against that spike. The protector reacts to and limits the surge rather than being the surge itself.