groundswell

American  

[ground-swel] / ˈgraʊndˌswɛl /

noun

1. a broad, deep swell or rolling of the sea, due to a distant storm or gale.

2. any surge of support, approval, or enthusiasm, especially among the general public.

   a groundswell of political support for the governor.

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groundswell British  

/ ˈɡraʊndˌswɛl /

noun

1. a considerable swell of the sea, often caused by a distant storm or earthquake or by the passage of waves into shallow water

2. a strong public feeling or opinion that is detectable even though not openly expressed

   a groundswell of discontent

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Etymology

Origin of groundswell

First recorded in 1810–20; ground ¹ + swell

Example Sentences

They start small and transform into a groundswell.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2026

In an interview earlier this week, the Recording Academy CEO, Harvey Mason Jr, confirmed there was a "groundswell" amongst voters for a separate K-pop category.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

Moltbot, an open-source AI bot that runs on Anthropic’s Claude, generated a groundswell of excitement online over the weekend.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

Mamdani, a 34-year-old Queens assemblyman, won the election in the midst of a groundswell of support among young New York voters and anxiety about the cost of living.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

The Exposition Company’s decision raised a groundswell of greed throughout Chicago’s South Side.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson