surge

surge

I

surge¹ /sɜːdʒ $ sɜːrdʒ/ verb [intransitive]1. [always + adverb/preposition] to suddenly move very quickly in a particular direction
    surge forward/through etc
    The taxi surged forward.
    The crowd surged through the gates.
2. (also surge up) if a feeling surges or surges up, you begin to feel it very strongly:
    She could feel anger surging inside her.
3. [usually + adverb/preposition] if a large amount of a liquid, electricity, chemical etc surges, it moves very quickly and suddenly:
    A wave surged up towards them.
    Adrenalin surged through her veins.
4. to suddenly increase
   SYN  shoot up:
    Oil prices surged.

II

surge² noun [countable usually singular]
1. a surge of something a sudden large increase in a feeling:
    a surge of excitement
2. a sudden increase in amount or number
    surge in/of
    a surge in food costs
    a surge of reporters’ interest in his finances
3. a sudden movement of a lot of people
    surge of
    a surge of refugees into the country
4. a sudden quick movement of a liquid, electricity, chemical etc through something:
    a device that protects your computer against electrical surges
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ increase noun [uncountable and countable] an occasion when the amount or number of something becomes bigger: There has been a significant increase in violent crime over the past year. | price increases
   ▪ growth noun [singular, uncountable] an increase in the number, size, or importance of something. Growth is also used when saying that a company or a country’s economy becomes more successful: The astonishing growth of the Internet has had a dramatic effect on people’s lives. | Japan experienced a period of rapid economic growth. | Many people are concerned about the enormous growth in the world’s population.
   ▪ rise noun [countable] an increase in the amount of something, or in the standard or level of something: The latest figures show a sharp rise (=a sudden big rise) in unemployment in the region. | There was a 34 percent rise in the number of armed robberies. | The majority of families experienced a rise in living standards.
   ▪ surge noun [countable usually singular] a sudden increase in something such as profits, demand, or interest: There has been a big surge in demand for organically grown food. | We have seen a tremendous surge of interest in Chinese medicine.
   ▪ gain noun [uncountable and countable] an increase in the amount or level of something - used especially in business or political contexts, or when talking about an increase in someone’s weight: sales gains | The December job figures show a net gain of 81,000 jobs. | The party has experienced a gain in popularity. | The amount of weight gain during pregnancy varies.
   ▪ hike noun [countable] informal especially American English a large or sudden increase in prices or taxes - often used in newspaper reports: Despite a 25% hike in fuel costs, the airline made a profit last year. | tax hikes | wage hikes