wave
gb/wˈeɪv/ us/wˈeɪv/
A1
English
~ 1700
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A1
action
1
Move hand to greet or signal
To move your hand from side to side to say hello, goodbye, or get someone's attention.
Usage pattern:
to wave [hand/arm] at [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'wave' with 'shake' when describing moving the hand; 'shake' usually means moving up and down or side to side quickly, often in greeting but also in other contexts.
Synonyms
gesture (A general term for any body movement used to communicate, not just with the hand.)
Antonyms
ignore (Not acknowledging someone with any gesture or movement.)
Collocations
wave hello
|wave goodbye
|wave frantically
|wave at someone
Themes
daily life
|communication
|relationships
Examples
- She waved at her friend across the street.
- He waved goodbye as the bus drove away.
- The lifeguard waved frantically to warn swimmers.
Learner examples
- I wave to my teacher every morning.
- She waves goodbye to her parents.
- They wave when they see me.
Noun
A1
event
2
Moving ridge of water
A raised line of water that moves across the sea or a lake.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'wave' with 'tide'; 'tide' refers to the regular rise and fall of sea level, not individual waves.
Synonyms
breaker (Specifically refers to a wave that is breaking on the shore.)
Antonyms
calm water (Water without noticeable movement or waves.)
Collocations
big wave
|ocean wave
|surfing wave
|tidal wave
Themes
nature
|travel
Examples
- Huge waves crashed against the rocks.
- Surfers waited for the perfect wave.
- The boat rose and fell with the waves.
Learner examples
- The waves are big today.
- A big wave hit the boat.
- We can hear the waves from our room.
Noun
B1
event
3
Sudden widespread increase
A sudden and large number of things happening at the same time.
Common mistake:
Learners may use 'wave' literally here when it is figurative; context usually makes it clear this refers to events or emotions, not water.
Synonyms
surge (A strong, often temporary increase in numbers, intensity, or emotion.)
Antonyms
decline (A decrease in amount, intensity, or frequency.)
Collocations
crime wave
|wave of protests
|wave of relief
|new wave
Themes
news
|society
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- A new wave of protests swept through the city.
- There was a wave of excitement when the team scored.
- The country faced a wave of new infections.
Learner examples
- There is a wave of new cases.
- We saw a wave of happy faces.
- The city had a wave of crime last year.
Verb
A2
action
4
Move object in air repeatedly
To move something from side to side in the air so people can see it.
Usage pattern:
to wave [something] in/through [air]
Synonyms
brandish (Often implies showing something in an aggressive way.)
Antonyms
hold still (To keep an object motionless instead of moving it through the air.)
Collocations
wave a flag
|wave a handkerchief
|wave a sign
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The crowd waved flags during the parade.
- She waved her scarf to catch his attention.
- He waved a flashlight to signal for help.
Learner examples
- They wave flags at the game.
- She waves her hat in the air.
- He waves a light to call for help.
Noun
technical
B2
event
5
Oscillation transferring energy
In science, a repeating movement that moves energy from one place to another without moving matter permanently.
Synonyms
oscillation (Refers to the repeated motion itself, not necessarily involving energy transfer over distance.)
Antonyms
stillness (The absence of motion or vibration.)
Collocations
sound wave
|light wave
|radio wave
Themes
science
Examples
- Light travels in waves through space.
- Sound waves move through air and other materials.
- Radio waves can pass through walls.
Learner examples
- Light waves come from the sun.
- Sound waves travel in air.
- We use radio waves for music.
Grammar
Dictionary form
wave
IPA
GB/wˈeɪv/
US/wˈeɪv/
Syllables & stress
wave (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (wave)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: wave
- Plural: waves
Verb
- Base: wave
- 3rd Person Singular: waves
- Present Participle: waving
- Past: waved
Word family
Forms
waves
noun
waving
verb
waved
verb
Core family
wavy
adjective
Related words
wavelength
noun B2
microwave
noun A2
Expressions
the new wave of [something]
1/ðə njˈu wˈeɪv əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Recent group or style movement
A new group of people or things that are different from those before them in some area like art, politics, etc.
Examples
- The new wave of artists is changing the music scene.
- We are seeing a new wave of technology startups.
wave goodbye to [something]
1/wˈeɪv ɡˌʊdbˈaɪ tə sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Accept loss of something
To realize you will not have something anymore and accept it.
Examples
- After the injury, he had to wave goodbye to his football career.
- If we don't act now, we can wave goodbye to our savings.
make waves
1/mˈeɪk wˈeɪvz/
idiom
informal
Cause trouble or change norms
To cause change or trouble by doing something different or unexpected.
Examples
- She didn’t want to make waves at her new job, so she kept quiet.
- The report is making waves in political circles.
make waves
2/mˈeɪk wˈeɪvz/
idiom
informal
to cause trouble or change things too much
To cause problems by attracting attention or trying to change things too much.
Examples
- Try not to make waves during the meeting.
- She made waves by questioning the manager's decision.