tide

noun \ ˈtīd \

Updated on: 22 May 2018

Definition of tide

1 a (1) : the alternate rising and falling of the surface of the ocean and of water bodies (such as gulfs and bays) connected with the ocean that occurs usually twice a day and is the result of differing gravitational forces exerted at different parts of the earth by another body (such as the moon or sun)

(2) : a less marked rising and falling of an inland body of water

(3) : a periodic movement in the earth's crust caused by the same forces that produce ocean tides

(4) : a periodic distortion on one celestial body caused by the gravitational attraction of another

(5) : one of the periodic movements of the atmosphere resembling those of the ocean and produced by gravitation or diurnal temperature changes

b : flood tide 1

2 a : something that fluctuates like the tides of the sea

the tide of public opinion

b : a large and increasing quantity or volume

a tide of opportunists

a swelling tide of criticism

3 a : a flowing stream : current

b : the waters of the ocean

c : the overflow of a flooding stream

4 a : a fit or opportune time : opportunity

b : an ecclesiastical anniversary or festival; also : its season —usually used in combination

Eastertide

c obsolete : a space of time : period

—

tideless

play \ˈtīd-ləs\ adjective

See tide defined for English-language learners

See tide defined for kids

Examples of tide in a Sentence

a chart of the tides
The boat got swept away in the tide.

Recent Examples of tide from the Web

Perhaps, the hope went inside the clubhouse, the tide would turn with the activation of Turner and Forsythe.

— andy mccullough, latimes.com, "Justin Turner and Logan Forsythe return to lineup, but Dodgers still fall to Marlins," 16 May 2018
Al Bello/Getty Images The tide may be turning against R. Kelly.

— constance grady, Vox, "Women of Color of Time’s Up join #MuteRKelly campaign demanding Spotify, Ticketmaster, and others cut ties with R. Kelly.," 30 Apr. 2018
Under recent worst-case projections, tides could rise as much as 10 feet by the end of the century and as much as 37 feet by 2200.

— david abel, BostonGlobe.com, "No matter your industry, good communication tech makes a big difference. Here’s why," 20 Apr. 2018
After decades of criminalization and a blatantly racist War on Drugs that has succeeded primarily in putting millions of people in jail, the tide is turning on marijuana.

— eric limer, Popular Mechanics, "Back When We Thought Hemp Would Be a Billion-Dollar Crop," 20 Apr. 2018
Only with the rise of virulent anti-Semitism in the 1930s did the tide turn toward a cautious Reform endorsement of the Zionist enterprise.

— abraham riesman, Daily Intelligencer, "Can Rabbi Rick Jacobs Save Liberal Zionism in the Age of Netanyahu?," 9 Apr. 2018
After years of borrowing for stock buybacks and company buyouts at extremely cheap rates, the tide is turning as the Federal Reserve raises its target rate and pulls stimulus.

— john gittelsohn, Bloomberg.com, "Corporate America Will Bring Next Wave of Pain, Money Managers Warn," 6 Apr. 2018
Even after those defeats, pro-regulation activists and journalists sympathetic to them kept insisting that the tide was turning in their direction.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Is wishful thinking clouding the gun-control battle?," 30 Mar. 2018
But if the tide eventually turns toward repeal, pro-gun organizations will have only themselves to blame.

— matt ford, The New Republic, "Retired Supreme Court justice calls for a repeal of the Second Amendment.," 27 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tide.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tide

Middle English, time, from Old English tīd; akin to Old High German zīt time and perhaps to Greek daiesthai to divide

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 4c

See Words from the same year

tide Synonyms

Synonyms

current, direction, drift, leaning, run, tendency, trend, wind;

custom, habit, propensity, tenor, way;

countercurrent, countertrend;

undercurrent, undertow;

Other Oceanography Terms

littoral, sound

tide

verb

Definition of tide

tided; tiding

intransitive verb

: to flow as or in a tide : surge

transitive verb

: to cause to float with or as if with the tide

Recent Examples of tide from the Web

And so something like a little filler in the trough, plus the upper lids, will tide them over another five years or so, and then after a face-lift, for instance, tweaks can be made with fillers to just enhance the overall look.

— carolyne zinko, San Francisco Chronicle, "How to look your absolute best at any age? We asked the experts.," 15 May 2018
In a pinch, Nvidia’s GeForce Now game-streaming beta for PCs could tide you over in the interim.

— brad chacos, PCWorld, "You can actually afford Nvidia GeForce graphics cards now," 9 May 2018
And to tide us over as Droughtlander rages on, Starz released three new images from Season 4 to celebrate today's big news.

— julie kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Outlander Season 4 Will Premiere in November," 9 May 2018
So, royal watchers: These pictures will have to tide you over for now.

— elise taylor, Vogue, "See the First Official Portraits of Prince Louis," 5 May 2018
Some folks have generators and photovoltaic electric systems to tide us over should the power go out.

— Sunset, "Eruptions and Evacuations Continue on Hawaii’s Big Island," 22 Jan. 2018
This often excludes potentially valuable clients: immigrants anxious to build a good reputation in their new homeland; students with bright career prospects; hardworking, trustworthy individuals needing cash to tide them over a difficult patch.

— The Economist, "The bottom rungFinancial inclusion in the rich world," 3 May 2018
Until then, the new images will have to tide us over.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Watch Cells Move Within Living Animals in This Breathtaking Footage," 30 Apr. 2018
The girls had come home from school Wednesday with a bag of fruit snacks, crackers, applesauce, soup and granola bars to help tide them over.

— karina bland, azcentral, "If we can feed kids as Arizona schools close, think what else we can do," 26 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of tide

1593

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

tide

verb

Definition of tide

tided; tiding

intransitive verb

archaic

: betide, befall

Origin and Etymology of tide

Middle English, from Old English tīdan; akin to Middle Dutch tiden to go, come, Old English tīd time

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

TIDE Defined for English Language Learners

tide

noun

Definition of tide for English Language Learners

: the regular upward and downward movement of the level of the ocean that is caused by the pull of the Sun and the Moon on the Earth
: the flow of the ocean's water as the tide rises or falls
: the way in which something is changing or developing

TIDE Defined for Kids

tide

noun \ ˈtīd \

Definition of tide for Students

1 : the rising and falling of the surface of the ocean caused twice daily by the attraction of the sun and the moon

2 : something that rises and falls or rushes in a mass

The tide of public opinion often changes.

History for tide

The English word tide at first meant “time” or “a space of time.” Later the word was used for the space of time between the rising and falling of the sea's surface. Then tide came to mean “the rising and falling of the sea.” This is the most common meaning of the word today.