tsunami
noun
Simple meaning
A cataclysm resulting from a destructive sea wave caused by an earthquake or volcanic eruption.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
tsoonahmeeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
tsuˈnɑmi
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A cataclysm resulting from a destructive sea wave caused by an earthquake or volcanic eruption
“A colossal tsunami destroyed the Minoan civilization in minutes.”
A very large and destructive wave, generally caused by a tremendous disturbance in the ocean, such as an undersea earthquake or volcanic eruption; often a series of waves (a wave train).
figurative
A large and generally unstoppable surge.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
This meaning: A cataclysm resulting from a destructive sea wave caused by an earthquake or volcanic eruption
Used this way, tsunami is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“A colossal tsunami destroyed the Minoan civilization in minutes.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use tsunami
- “A colossal tsunami destroyed the Minoan civilization in minutes.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
- earthquakenoun
- quakenoun
- eruptionnoun
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: cataclysm resulting from a destructive sea wave caused by an earthquake
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.