Groundswell
/ˈɡraʊndˌswɛl/noun
A sudden large increase in support, activity, or emotion, or a broad swell of the sea.
Did you know?The word began as a nautical term for a long rolling swell that can appear after a storm has passed, then shifted into politics and culture as a metaphor for a force building below the surface.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
English
grund
“ground, bottom, foundation”
Old English
English
swellan
“to swell, grow larger, rise”
14th–17th Century
English
ground-swell
“a broad, rolling swell of the sea, especially one traveling in from distant weather”
19th Century
English
groundswell
“a swell of popular feeling or support building beneath the surface”
Modern English
English
groundswell
“a sudden, widespread surge in support, opinion, or activity, or a large sea swell”