wave

1 of 3

verb

waved; waving

intransitive verb

1
: to motion with the hands or with something held in them in signal or salute
2
: to float, play, or shake in an air current : move loosely to and fro : flutter
flags waving in the breeze
3
of water : to move in waves : heave
4
: to become moved or brandished to and fro
signs waved in the crowd
5
: to move before the wind with a wavelike motion
field of waving grain
6
: to follow a curving line or take a wavy form : undulate

transitive verb

1
: to swing (something) back and forth or up and down
2
: to impart a curving or undulating shape to
waved her hair
3
a
: to motion to (someone) to go in an indicated direction or to stop : signal
waved down a passing car
b
: to gesture with (the hand or an object) in greeting or farewell or in homage
c
: to dismiss or put out of mind : disregard
usually used with aside or off
d
: to convey by waving
waved farewell
4
: brandish, flourish
waved a pistol menacingly

wave

2 of 3

noun (1)

plural waves
1
a
: a moving ridge or swell on the surface of a liquid (as of the sea)
b
chiefly literary : water, sea
… this our island in the waveCharles Dickens
The buccaneer on the wave might relinquish his calling and become … a man of probity and piety on land …Nathaniel Hawthorne
The sea was open to them, and they achieved their victories on the briny wave.The Book of Commerce by Sea and Land
2
a
: a shape or outline having successive curves
b
: a waviness of the hair
c
: an undulating line or streak or a pattern formed by such lines
3
: something that swells and dies away: such as
a
: a surge of sensation or emotion
a wave of anger swept over her
b
: a movement sweeping large numbers in a common direction
waves of protest
c
: a peak or climax of activity or occurrence
a wave of spending
a second wave of infection
a crime wave
4
: a sweep of hand or arm or of some object held in the hand used as a signal or greeting
5
: a rolling or undulatory movement or one of a series of such movements passing along a surface or through the air
6
: a movement like that of an ocean wave: such as
a
: a surging movement of a group
a big new wave of women politicians
b
: one of a succession of influxes of people migrating into a region
c(1)
: a moving group of animals of one kind
(2)
: a sudden rapid increase in a population
d
: a line of attacking or advancing troops or airplanes
e
: a display of people in a large crowd (as at a sports event) successively rising, lifting their arms overhead, and quickly sitting so as to form a swell moving through the crowd
7
a
: a disturbance or variation that transfers energy progressively from point to point in a medium and that may take the form of an elastic deformation or of a variation of pressure, electric or magnetic intensity, electric potential, or temperature
b
: one complete cycle of such a disturbance
8
: a marked change in temperature : a period of hot or cold weather
9
: an undulating or jagged line constituting a graphic representation of an action
waveless adjective
wavelessly adverb
wavelike adjective

Wave

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a member of the women's component of the U.S. Navy formed during World War II and discontinued in the 1970s
Choose the Right Synonym for wave

swing, wave, flourish, brandish, thrash mean to wield or cause to move to and fro or up and down.

swing implies regular or uniform movement.

swing the rope back and forth

wave usually implies smooth or continuous motion.

waving the flag

flourish suggests vigorous, ostentatious, graceful movement.

flourished the winning lottery ticket

brandish implies threatening or menacing motion.

brandishing a knife

thrash suggests vigorous, abrupt, violent movement.

an infant thrashing his arms about

Examples of wave in a Sentence

Verb We waved to our friends through the window. She was waving in the direction of the bridge. Flags were waving in the breeze. The magician waved his magic wand. The leader of the parade waved a flag. It was so hot that we were all waving our hands in front of our faces to cool off. Noun (1) The waves crashed onto the rocks. She has a wave in her hair. Waves of warm air washed over us. We got a wave from the Queen. The rabbit disappeared with a wave of the magician's wand.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Ryan Gosling and the pup became fast friends when Gosling waved to him, and Messi also posed with Bradley Cooper. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 If turkeys encroach into your space, scare them off by making a lot of noise, waving your hands, banging pots and pans, or squirting the birds with a garden hose. Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 2024 Las Vegas Raiders punter A.J. Cole will give command at 3:38, and six-time MLB All-Star Jose Bautista, who owns a professional soccer team in Vegas, will wave the green flag at 3:49 p.m. Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 3 Mar. 2024 Videos posted on social media showed Mbappé walking around the stadium concourse in a black tracksuit while the game continued behind him, posing for a selfie and waving to the crowd. Issy Ronald, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024 All five Nuggets starters were in double digits through three quarters before Brown waved the white flag. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024 The video then cuts to another live image of the singer holding the phone in selfie mode, posing with the employees while smiling, waving and throwing peace signs at the camera. Paula Soria, The Arizona Republic, 28 Feb. 2024 The current bull run is acting as if all the red capes in the world are waved, with the dynamic duo of BTC and ETH pulling the entire altcoin market ahead. Victoria Chynoweth, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The King, 75, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, was pictured in London on Wednesday morning waving to well-wishers as he was driven from his home, Clarence House. Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024
Noun
The extraordinary synergy among these innovations was what powered the second technological wave. Jonathan Haidt, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2024 Recently, though, there’s been a wave of companies attempting to be more transparent about their own emissions. Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 The activists’ concerns center on the latest wave of hostilities between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024 Chopped right at the chin, her new cut was styled with a middle part, a hint of wave, and a little layering around the face. Marci Robin, Allure, 12 Mar. 2024 The lineup includes up-and-coming artists making waves in the world of Latin music, from musica Mexicana to urbano. Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 While the upper echelons of the film industry spent yesterday evening lusting after golden statues, there was a much more inclusive wave of gold (and silver) to behold at the Vanity Fair Oscars After-Party. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024 With vocals that feel like braided silk and rhythms like waves slowly lapping in a sepulcher, The Rot carries the listener to a romantic – almost gothic – space while keeping one tethered to reality. Spin Contributor, SPIN, 11 Mar. 2024 Russian state media largely ignored his death, while hundreds of people were reportedly detained for turning out at makeshift memorials in the largest wave of arrests at political events in the country in two years. Darya Tarasova, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English wafian to wave with the hands; akin to Old English wæfan to clothe and perhaps to Old English wefan to weave

Noun (2)

Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (1)

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wave was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near wave

Cite this Entry

“Wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wave. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wave

1 of 3 verb
waved; waving
1
: to float or shake in an air current : flutter
flags waving in the breeze
2
: to signal or salute with the hand or with something held in it
3
: brandish
waved a pistol and made threats
4
: to move before the wind with a wavelike motion
a field of waving grain
5
: to follow or cause to follow a curving line or take a wavy form
waved her hair

wave

2 of 3 noun
1
: a moving ridge on the surface of water
2
: a wavelike formation or shape
a wave in the hair
3
: the action or process of making wavy or curly
4
: a waving motion
a wave of the hand
5
: a steady flowing movement
a wave of color swept the speaker's face
6
: a sudden or rapid increase
a wave of buying
7
: a disturbance similar to a wave in water that transfers energy progressively from point to point
a light wave
8
: a period of hot or cold weather
wavelike adjective

Wave

3 of 3 noun
: a woman serving in the navy

Medical Definition

wave

noun
1
a
: a disturbance or variation that transfers energy progressively from point to point in a medium and that may take the form of an elastic deformation or of a variation of pressure, electrical or magnetic intensity, electrical potential, or temperature
b
: one complete cycle of such a disturbance
2
: an undulating or jagged line constituting a graphic representation of an action
an electroencephalographic wave

More from Merriam-Webster on wave

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