Noun
A large and sudden rise and fall in the tide.
(proscribed) A large, sudden, and disastrous wave of water caused by a tremendous disturbance in the ocean; a tsunami. (See Usage notes below.)
The last tidal wave here killed twenty and left thousands homeless.
(proscribed) A large, sudden inundation of water from the storm surge, or waves of that surge; a sudden surge of river water.
(figuratively) A sudden and powerful surge.
As the doors opened, a tidal wave of people flooded into the room.
I was overcome by a tidal wave of emotions.
(archaic) A crest of ocean water; a wave.
(oceanography) A crest of ocean water resulting from tidal forces.
Source: en.wiktionary.orgHe was mastered by the sheer surging of life, the tidal wave of being, the perfect joy of each separate muscle, joint, and sinew in that it was everything that was not death, that it was aglow and rampant, expressing itself in movement, flying exultantly under the stars. Jack London
My experience is that you can't possibly win against whatever the tidal wave is that's coming at you. Lorenzo di Bonaventura
As people get more desperate, history suggests that they're not going to rise in a mighty proletarian tidal wave and wash away their oppressors. They're gonna turn on each other. Alan Moore
A Tea Party tidal wave is coming. Rand Paul
Everything we do, even the slightest thing we do, can have a ripple effect and repercussions that emanate. If you throw a pebble into the water on one side of the ocean, it can create a tidal wave on the other side. Victor Webster
As all but one of the boats in the harbor at the time of the disaster sank due to the tidal wave that resulted, the area is favored by scuba enthusiastic who can dive down to the wrecks. Source: Internet