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Synonyms of 'wave'

wave

Explore 'wave' in the dictionary
1 (verb) 
Definition
to move (one's hand) to and fro as a greeting
He waved to us from across the street.
Synonyms
signal
She signalled a passing taxi.
sign
She signed to me to go out.
gesture
I gestured towards the boathouse and he looked inside.
gesticulate
The man was gesticulating wildly.
2 (verb) 
Definition
to direct (someone) to move in a particular direction by waving
The police officer waved to us to go on.
Synonyms
guide
point
direct
She will direct day-to-day operations.
indicate
signal
motion
She motioned for the doors to be opened.
gesture
nod
He lifted his end of the canoe, nodding to me to take up mine.
beckon
He beckoned to the waiter.
point in the direction
3 (verb) 
Definition
to hold (something) up and move it from side to side in order to attract attention
The protesters were waving banners and shouting.
Synonyms
brandish
He appeared in the lounge brandishing a knife.
swing
She was swinging a bottle by its neck.
flourish
He flourished his glass to make the point.
wield
She appeared at the door, wielding a new walking stick.
wag
He wagged a disapproving finger at me.
move something to and fro
shake
They shook clenched fists.
4 (verb) 
Definition
to move freely to and fro
Flags were waving gently in the breeze.
Synonyms
flutter
a butterfly fluttering its wings
flap
The bird flapped its wings furiously.
stir
The long white curtains stirred in the breeze.
waver
The shadows of the dancers wavered on the wall.
shake
The plane shook frighteningly as it hit the high, drenching waves.
swing
The sail of the little boat swung from one side to the other.
sway
The people swayed back and forth with arms linked.
ripple
wag
The dog was barking and wagging its tail wildly.
quiver
undulate
the waves undulating like oceanic dunes
oscillate
The needle indicating volume was oscillating wildly.
move to and fro
1 (noun) 
Definition
the act or an instance of waving
Paddy spotted Mary Anne and gave her a cheery wave.
Synonyms
gesture
She made a menacing gesture with her fist.
sign
They gave him the thumbs-up sign.
signal
The event was seen as a signal of support.
indication
He gave no indication that he was ready to compromise.
gesticulation
2 (noun) 
Definition
one of a sequence of ridges or undulations that moves across the surface of the sea or a lake
the sound of waves breaking on the shore
Synonyms
ripple
breaker
breakers on the sea wall
sea surf
swell
the swell of the incoming tide
ridge
roller
comber
billow
a wild sea, with immense billows breaking upon our ship
3 (noun) 
Definition
a curve in the hair
His fingers touched the thick waves of her hair.
Synonyms
curl
A thick curl of smoke rose from the rusty stove.
coil
Tess slung the coil of rope over her shoulder.
kink
a tiny black kitten with tufted ears and a kink in her tail
undulation
loop
She reached for a loop of garden hose.
4 (noun) 
Definition
an energy-carrying disturbance travelling through a medium or space by a series of vibrations without any overall movement of matter
The blast wave crushed his breath.
Synonyms
vibration
They heard a distant low vibration in the distance.
ripple
The news sent a ripple of excitement through the Security Council.
resonance
tremor
He felt a tremor in his arm.
reverberation
He heard the reverberation of the slammed door.
judder
pulsation
5 (noun) 
Definition
a sudden rise in the frequency or intensity of something
She felt a wave of grief flood over her.
Synonyms
surge
a new surge of interest in Dylan's work
welling up
rush
A rush of affection swept over him.
flood
thrill
stab
shiver
Alice gave a shiver of delight.
feeling
tingle
a sudden tingle of excitement
spasm
upsurge
frisson
6 (noun) 
Definition
a sudden rise in the frequency or intensity of something
the current wave of violence in schools
Synonyms
outbreak
an outbreak of violence involving hundreds of youths
This outbreak of flu is no worse than normal.
trend
a trend towards part-time employment
rash
a rash of internet-related companies
upsurge
sweep
flood
tendency
the government's tendency towards secrecy in recent years
surge
groundswell
7 (noun) 
Definition
a widespread movement that advances in a body
A new wave of settlers arrived in the region.
Synonyms
stream
a continuous stream of lava
flood
Each year brings a flood of new university graduates.
surge
The bridge was destroyed in a tidal surge during a storm.
spate
an incomprehensible spate of words
current
The swimmers were swept away by the strong current.
movement
the movement towards democracy
flow
watching the quiet flow of the olive-green water
rush
tide
They used to sail with the tide.
torrent
A torrent of water rushed into the reservoir.
deluge
a deluge of criticism
upsurge

idiom

See make waves

Phrasal verbs

See wave something or someone aside or away
See wave something or someone down
Copyright © 2016 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

Additional synonyms

in the sense of beckon
Definition
to summon with a gesture
He beckoned to the waiter.
Synonyms
gesture,
sign,
wave,
indicate,
signal,
nod,
motion,
summon,
gesticulate
in the sense of billow
Definition
a large sea wave
a wild sea, with immense billows breaking upon our ship
Synonyms
wave,
surge,
tide,
swell,
roller,
crest,
breaker
in the sense of breaker
Definition
a large sea wave with a white crest or one that breaks into foam on the shore
breakers on the sea wall
Synonyms
wave,
roller,
comber,
billow,
white horse,
whitecap

Video: pronunciation of
wave

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Browse alphabetically
wave

  • watershed
  • watertight
  • watery
  • wave
  • wave something or someone aside or away
  • wave something or someone down
  • wavelength

  • All ENGLISH synonyms that begin with 'W'

Related terms of
wave

  • shock wave
  • wave something or someone down
  • wave something or someone aside or away

Source

Thesaurus for wave from the Collins English Thesaurus
1 2 3 4 5 6
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Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1
-

Score: 0 / 5

larva or lava?

Which version is correct?
Rivers of larva flowed down the volcano. Rivers of lava flowed down the volcano.

conker or conquer?

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conker
conquer
The   season is here again.

ewe or yew?

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ewe
yew
She pointed at the   and her two lambs.

pray or prey?

Which version is correct?
We all work and pray for peace. We all work and prey for peace.

tuba or tuber?

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tuber
tuba
Lift each   out of the ground with a garden fork.
Your score:
Sep 02, 2021
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a carnival
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Scrabble score
for 'wave':
10

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1
-

Score: 0 / 5

larva or lava?

Which version is correct?
Rivers of larva flowed down the volcano. Rivers of lava flowed down the volcano.

conker or conquer?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
conker
conquer
The   season is here again.

ewe or yew?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
ewe
yew
She pointed at the   and her two lambs.

pray or prey?

Which version is correct?
We all work and pray for peace. We all work and prey for peace.

tuba or tuber?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
tuber
tuba
Lift each   out of the ground with a garden fork.
Your score:
Updating our Usage
There are many diverse influences on the way that English is used across the world today. We look at some of the ways in which the language is changing. Read our series of blogs to find out more. October 30, 2020 Read more
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