Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense tides, present participle tiding, past tense, past participle tided
1. countable noun
Thetide is the regular change in the level of the sea on the shore.
The tide was at its highest.
The tide was going out, and the sand was smooth and glittering.
State police say that high tides and severe flooding have damaged beaches.
2. countable noun
A tide is a current in the sea that is caused by the regular and continuous movement of large areas of water towards and away from the shore.
Roman vessels used to sail with the tide from Boulogne to Richborough.
Synonyms: current, flow, stream, course More Synonyms of tide
3. singular noun
The tide of opinion, for example, is what the majority of people think at a particular time.
The tide of opinion seems overwhelmingly in his favour. [+ of]
4. singular noun
People sometimes refer to events or forces that are difficult or impossible to control as the tide of history, for example.
They talked of reversing the tide of history. [+ of]
The tide of war swept back across their country.
Synonyms: course, direction, trend, current More Synonyms of tide
5. singular noun
You can talk about a tide of something, especially something which is unpleasant, when there is a large and increasing amount of it.
...an ever increasing tide of crime. [+ of]
The tide of nationalism is still running high in a number of republics.
6. See also high tide, low tide
Phrasal verbs:
See tide over
tide in British English1
(taɪd)
noun
1.
the cyclic rise and fall of sea level caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon. There are usually two high tides and two low tides in each lunar day
See also tide-generating force, neap tide, spring tide
2.
the current, ebb, or flow of water at a specified place resulting from these changes in level
the tide is coming in
3. ebb (sense 3), flood (sense 3)
4.
a widespread tendency or movement
the tide of resentment against the government
5.
a critical point in time; turning point
the tide of his fortunes
6. Northern England dialect
a fair or holiday
7. (in combination)
a season or time
Christmastide
8. rare
any body of mobile water, such as a stream
9. archaic
a favourable opportunity
verb
10.
to carry or be carried with or as if with the tide
11. (intransitive)
to ebb and flow like the tide
Derived forms
tideless (ˈtideless)
adjective
tidelike (ˈtideˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
Old English tīd time; related to Old High German zīt, Old Norse tīthr time
tide in British English2
(taɪd)
verb
(intransitive) archaic
to happen
Word origin
Old English tīdan; related to Old Frisian tīdia to proceed to, Middle Low German tīden to hurry, Old Norse tītha to desire
happen in British English2
(ˈhæpən)
verb
1. (intransitive)
(of an event in time) to come about or take place; occur
2. (intransitive; foll byto)
(of some unforeseen circumstance or event, esp death), to fall to the lot (of); be a source of good or bad fortune (to)
if anything happens to me, it'll be your fault
3. (transitive)
to chance (to be or do something)
I happen to know him
4. (tr; takes a clause as object)
to be the case, esp if by chance, that
it happens that I know him
adverb, sentence substitute
5. Northern England dialect
a. another word for perhaps
b.
(as sentence modifier)
happen I'll see thee tomorrow
▶ USAGE See note at occur
tide in American English1
(taɪd)
noun
1. Obsolete
a period of time
now only in combination
Eastertide, eventide
2.
a.
the alternate rise and fall of the surface of oceans, seas, and the bays, rivers, etc. connected with them, caused by the attraction of the moon and sun: it may occur twice in each period of 24 hours and 50 minutes, which is the time of one rotation of the earth with respect to the moon
see also flood tide, spring tide
b.
flood tide
3.
something that rises and falls like the tide
4.
a stream, current, etc. or trend, tendency, etc.
the tide of public opinion
5.
the period during which something is at its highest or fullest point
6. Archaic
an opportune time or occasion
adjective
7.
tidal
verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈtided or ˈtiding
8.
to flow or surge like a tide
9. Nautical
to drift with the tide, esp. in moving into or out of a harbor, river, etc.
verb transitive
10.
to carry with or as with the tide
Idioms:
tide over
turn the tide
Word origin
ME, tide, time, season < OE tid, time; akin to Ger zeit < IE *dī-, var. of base *da(i)-, to part, divide up > time, Sans dāti, (he) cuts off, Gr dēmos, district, people; (sense 2) prob. infl. by MLowG or MDu
tide in American English2
(taɪd)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈtided or ˈtiding
Archaic
to betide; happen
Word origin
ME tiden < OE tidan < tid: see tide1
More idioms containing
tide
stem the tide of something
swim against the tide
Examples of 'tide' in a sentence
tide
Swap one winger for another and hope that will somehow stem the tide.
The Sun (2016)
The short link to the island and its lighthouse is submerged at high tide.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
One voice was still pathetically protesting against the tide of history yesterday.
The Sun (2016)
There's a sea cave to play in at low tide.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Pebbles in a pond, not a tide in the sea.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We needed to stem the tide after a 3-0 defeat in our previous game.
The Sun (2016)
It is low tide, which will help to carry the swimmers out.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It is thought part of the 40ft cliff crashed down after being weakened by high tides and rain.
The Sun (2017)
While deposits continue to disappoint, more such episodes are as inevitable as the ebb and flow of the tide.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Except I have to head to the airport because time, tide and airline schedules wait for no one.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Swimming through the hole at high tide is a rite of passage.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This then is the difficulty with writing a book about tides.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The tide has ebbed to find another shore.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Those incredible works of art have all been washed away by the tide.
Christianity Today (2000)
There is a strong female tide flowing.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
There is only one way to turn back the tide.
The Sun (2008)
Those concerns have not stemmed the tide of nationalistic sentiment.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In fact there was a lull during low tide after lunch the next day.
Edward Beauclerk Maurice THE LAST OF THE GENTLEMEN ADVENTURERS: Coming of Age in the Arctic (2004)
They were covered by the sea at high tide.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Tide and time wait for no man.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Our dad thinks that the winter tides will carry it down the channel.
Travers, P L What the Bee Knows - reflections on myth, symbol and story (1989)
The tide of royal history flows on.
The Sun (2012)
But no one was hurt on the beach below because a high tide meant it was inaccessible.
The Sun (2008)
There is a tide of complaints about onshore wind farms.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Politicians only sensed the anger once the economic tide began to ebb.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The tide is flowing slowly but inexorably against him.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Punishment cannot hold back the swelling tides of the social chaos that cause this delinquency.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
At low tide you can make it all the way back to town along the beach.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Underlying its mystery is the moon, whose gravitational pull controls all tides on the planet.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Be careful of tides and currents, especially around estuaries.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
tide
British English: tide /taɪd/ NOUN
The tide is the regular change in the level of the sea on the shore.
The tide was going out.
American English: tide
Arabic: مَدٌّ وجَزْر
Brazilian Portuguese: maré
Chinese: 潮水
Croatian: plima
Czech: příliv a odliv
Danish: tidevand
Dutch: getijde
European Spanish: marea
Finnish: vuorovesi
French: marée
German: Gezeiten
Greek: παλίρροια
Italian: marea
Japanese: 潮
Korean: 조수
Norwegian: tidevann
Polish: pływ
European Portuguese: maré
Romanian: maree
Russian: прилив
Latin American Spanish: marea
Swedish: tidvatten
Thai: ปรากฏการณ์น้ำขึ้นน้ำลง
Turkish: gelgit
Ukrainian: приплив та відплив
Vietnamese: thủy triều
All related terms of 'tide'
ebb tide
a tide that is going out, being drawn away from the land
half-tide
the state of the tide between flood and ebb
high tide
At the coast , high tide is the time when the sea is at its highest level because the tide is in.
holy tide
a time or season for special religious observance
lee tide
a leeward tide
low tide
At the coast , low tide is the time when the sea is at its lowest level because the tide is out.
neap tide
either of the two tides that occur at the first or last quarter of the moon when the tide-generating forces of the sun and moon oppose each other and produce the smallest rise and fall in tidal level
red tide
a discoloration of sea water caused by an explosive growth in phytoplankton density : sometimes toxic to fish life and, through accumulation in shellfish , to humans
tide over
If you do something for someone to tide them over , you help them through a period when they are having difficulties, especially by lending them money .
tide pool
See tidal pool Also : tidepool
tide race
a fast-running tidal current
tide-rip
a rip current associated with a tidal current
flood tide
the tide when it has risen from low to high water
spring tide
A spring tide is an unusually high tide that happens at the time of a new moon or a full moon.
surge tide
a powerful and often destructive tide that may occur when an abnormally high tide (e. g . at the autumn equinox ) coincides with high wind and low atmospheric pressure
tide-gauge
a gauge used to measure extremes or the present level of tidal movement
tide table
a table showing the height of the tide at different times of day over a period at a particular place
turn the tide
to reverse the general course of events
riptide
A riptide is an area of sea where two different currents meet or where the water is extremely deep . Riptides make the water very rough and dangerous .
swim with the tide
to conform to prevailing opinion
tide-generating force
the difference between the force of gravity exerted by the moon or the sun on a particle of water in the ocean and that exerted on an equal mass of matter at the centre of the earth. The lunar tide-generating forces are about 2.2 times greater than are the solar ones
agger
an earthwork or mound forming a rampart , esp in a Roman military camp
swim against the tide
to do or say something which is the opposite of what most other people are doing or saying
stem the tide of something
to get control of something bad that is happening on a large scale , and stop it
rip current
a stretch of turbulent water in the sea, caused by the meeting of currents or abrupt changes in depth
tidal pool
a pool of water remaining on a reef , shore platform , or beach after the tide has receded
Chinese translation of 'tide'
tide
(taɪd)
n
(c) (in sea) 潮汐 (cháoxī)
(s) (fig)[of events, fashion, opinion]趋(趨)向 (qūxiàng)
high/low tide涨(漲)/落潮 (zhǎng/luò cháo)
1 (noun)
Definition
the current caused by these changes in level
They used to sail with the tide.
Synonyms
current
The swimmers were swept away by the strong current.
flow
watching the quiet flow of the olive-green water
stream
a continuous stream of lava
course
a series of naval battles which altered the course of history
ebb
undertow
tideway
2 (noun)
Definition
a widespread tendency or movement
They talked of reversing the tide of events.
Synonyms
course
For nearly four hours we maintained our course northwards.
direction
They threatened a mass walk-out if the party did not change direction.
trend
a trend towards part-time employment
current
A strong current of nationalism is running through the country.
movement
the movement towards democracy
tendency
the government's tendency towards secrecy in recent years
drift
their fears at what they see as a drift towards economic chaos
phrasal verb
See tide someone over
Additional synonyms
in the sense of direction
They threatened a mass walk-out if the party did not change direction.
Synonyms
tendency,
attitude,
bent,
current,
trend,
leaning,
drift,
bias,
orientation,
tack,
tenor,
proclivity (formal)
in the sense of drift
their fears at what they see as a drift towards economic chaos
Synonyms
trend,
course,
current,
flow,
rush,
sweep
in the sense of flow
Definition
the act, rate, or manner of flowing
watching the quiet flow of the olive-green water
Synonyms
stream,
current,
movement,
motion,
course,
issue,
flood,
drift,
tide,
spate,
gush,
flux,
outpouring,
outflow,
undertow,
tideway
Synonyms of 'tide'
tide
Explore 'tide' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of movement
Definition
a trend or tendency
the movement towards democracy
Synonyms
trend,
flow,
swing,
current,
tendency
in the sense of stream
Definition
any steady flow of water or other liquid
a continuous stream of lava
Synonyms
flow,
current,
rush,
run,
course,
drift,
surge,
tide,
torrent,
outpouring,
tideway
in the sense of tendency
Definition
the general course or drift of something
the government's tendency towards secrecy in recent years