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What factor would not increase the height of a storm surge?

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surge

American  

[surj] / sɜrdʒ /

noun

• surges
  plural

1. 

   a strong, wavelike, forward movement, rush, or sweep.

   the onward surge of an angry mob.

2. a strong, swelling, wavelike volume or body of something.

   a billowing surge of smoke.

3. a sudden, strong increase or burst.

   a surge of energy; surges of emotion.

4. Military. a significant increase in the number of troops deployed to an area.

5. the rolling swell of the sea.

6. the swelling and rolling sea.

   The surge crashed against the rocky coast.

7. a swelling wave; billow.

8. Meteorology.

   1. a widespread change in atmospheric pressure that is in addition to cyclonic and normal diurnal changes.

   2. storm surge.

9. Electricity.

   1. a sudden rush or burst of current or voltage.

   2. a violent oscillatory disturbance.

10. Nautical. a slackening or slipping back, as of a rope or cable.

11. Machinery.

    1. an uneven flow and strong momentum given to a fluid, as water in a tank, resulting in a rapid, temporary rise in pressure.

    2. pulsating unevenness of motion in an engine or gas turbine.

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verb (used without object)

• surges,
  present (3rd person singular)
• surged,
  past participle,  past
• surging
  present participle

1. (of a ship) to rise and fall, toss about, or move along on the waves.

   to surge at anchor.

2. to rise, roll, move, or swell forward in or like waves.

   The sea surged against the shore. The crowd surged back and forth.

3. to rise as if by a heaving or swelling force.

   Blood surged to his face.

4. Electricity.

   1. to increase suddenly, as current or voltage.

   2. to oscillate violently.

5. Nautical.

   1. to slack off or loosen a rope or cable around a capstan or windlass.

   2. to slip back, as a rope.

6. Machinery. to move with pulsating unevenness, as something driven by an engine or gas turbine.

verb (used with object)

• surges,
  present (3rd person singular)
• surged,
  past participle,  past
• surging
  present participle

1. to cause to surge or roll in or as in waves.

2. Nautical. to slacken (a rope).

surge British  

/ sɜːdʒ /

noun

1. a strong rush or sweep; sudden increase

   a surge of anger

2. the rolling swell of the sea, esp after the passage of a large wave

3. a heavy rolling motion or sound

   the surge of the trumpets

4. an undulating rolling surface, as of hills

5. a billowing cloud or volume

6. nautical a temporary release or slackening of a rope or cable

7. a large momentary increase in the voltage or current in an electric circuit

8. an upward instability or unevenness in the power output of an engine

9. astronomy a short-lived disturbance, occurring during the eruption of a solar flare

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verb

1. (intr) (of waves, the sea, etc) to rise or roll with a heavy swelling motion

2. (intr) to move like a heavy sea

3. nautical to slacken or temporarily release (a rope or cable) from a capstan or (of a rope, etc) to be slackened or released and slip back

4. (intr) (of an electric current or voltage) to undergo a large momentary increase

5. rare (tr) to cause to move in or as if in a wave or waves

surge Scientific  

/ sûrj /

1. A coastal rise in water level caused by wind.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• surger
  noun
• surgeless
  adjective
• unsurging
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• surges
  plural

Participles

• surging
  present
• surged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• surge
  simple
• surges
  simple
• have surged
  perfect
• has surged
  perfect
• am surging
  progressive
• are surging
  progressive
• is surging
  progressive
• have been surging
  perfect progressive
• has been surging
  perfect progressive

Past

• surged
  simple
• had surged
  perfect
• was surging
  progressive
• were surging
  progressive
• had been surging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will surge
  simple
• will have surged
  perfect
• will be surging
  progressive
• will have been surging
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of surge

First recorded in 1480–90; perhaps from Latin surgere “to arise, stand up,” contracted from surrigere, from sur- sur- ² ( def. ) + -rigere, combining form of regere “to make straight, guide, rule”

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Explanation

A surge is a sudden strong swelling, like a tsunami wave that engulfs the land. Although a surge offers a fluid image, anything can experience a sudden surge, including emotions, political support, or an angry mob. The original Latin word surgere, meaning “to spring up or rise,” serves as the basis for the word surge, which refers to a great sudden growth or swelling. If you are watching a sad movie and you experience a sudden surge of emotion, do you quietly reach for a tissue, pretend something's in your eye, or simply weep and sob with reckless abandon? Yeah, me too. Christmas shopping can be dangerous when there is a surge of interest in one toy and desperate shoppers surge into stores trying to grab it up.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

surge surges surged surging

Crow-Armstrong was always known for his speed, defensive prowess and hitting skills, but this year saw Crow-Armstrong unleash a power surge as the Cubs’ leadoff hitter that energized baseball fans in Chicago and elsewhere.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026

The surge of the emergency responders initially brought back memories of New York during 2001 terrorist attacks.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026

The company’s CPUs, which have seen a surge in demand from agentic AI, are built on Arm’s chip architecture, he said in emailed comments shared with MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2026

Spain’s ACS expects its revenue and adjusted net profit to surge by the end of the decade, as the construction company moves to cash in on data-center investments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026

More strands surge forward, though, and some start to make their way through the force field.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

The memory-card supplier surges as part of a broad AI revival, bolstering hopes it could be about to end a dismal recent run.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026

In preparation for the storm, the Department for Infrastructure said their teams have been checking and clearing road gullies, monitoring river levels and tidal surges, and deploying a portion of temporary flood defences.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Electrical surges caused equipment failures, sent sparks flying from wires, shocked operators, and even started fires.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026

It’s unclear what caused the crack, but a Laguna Beach spokesperson said in an email that the recent storm surges could have eroded the base of the slope.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

Water moved back and forth in surges now—almost six inches deep when it sloshed against his chest.

From "The Voyage Of The Frog" by Gary Paulsen

Core revenue, an adjusted metric that accounts for data-center pass-through revenue and customer equity warrants, surged 70% to $230.9 million.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections have surged in California in recent years, rising from around 500 cases in 2011 to more than 2,500 in 2023, according to the California Department of Public Health.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026

Chinese capacity to produce several chemicals critical for manufacturing and agriculture have surged more than 75% from 2020 to 2025, the report found.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

Bond yields surged and stocks slumped Tuesday after the consumer inflation report for October suggested the Federal Reserve might need to up the throttle on its inflation fight.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026

He surged forward and tore at the rocky ground with his grinding tool; then he scooped the pieces into huge storage bins; then he surged forward again.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

At that time, the Fed was embarking on the fastest increase of its short-term policy rate since 1987 in a bid to quell surging inflation.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2026

At the same time, the country is facing fierce protests denouncing the surging cost of living and demanding higher spending on education and other public services.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026

They are demanding a relief from surging diesel prices, which have been driven up by the war in Iran.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026

Shortly afterward, October core CPI came in at 0.3%, sending bond yields surging and stock futures tumbling into the red.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026

But my endorphins were surging and that, combined with the huge sense of relief, left me totally giddy.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

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Related Words

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• wave

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