Wave vs. Swell — What's the Difference?

In physics, mathematics, and related fields, a wave is a propagating dynamic disturbance (change from equilibrium) of one or more quantities, sometimes as described by a wave equation. In physical waves, at least two field quantities in the wave medium are involved.

To increase in size or volume as a result of internal pressure; expand.

Move one's hand to and fro in greeting or as a signal

To increase in force, size, number, or degree

Move to and fro with a swaying motion while remaining fixed to one point

To grow in loudness or intensity

Style (hair) so that it curls slightly

To bulge out, as a sail.

A long body of water curling into an arched form and breaking on the shore

To rise or extend above the surrounding level, as clouds.

A sudden occurrence of or increase in a phenomenon, feeling, or emotion

To rise in swells, as the sea.

A gesture or signal made by moving one's hand to and fro

To be or become filled or puffed up, as with pride, arrogance, or anger.

A slightly curling lock of hair

To rise from within

A periodic disturbance of the particles of a substance which may be propagated without net movement of the particles, such as in the passage of undulating motion, heat, or sound.

To cause to increase in volume, size, number, degree, or intensity

A member of the women's reserve of the US Navy, organized during World War II, but now no longer a separate branch.

To fill with emotion.

A ridge or swell moving through or along the surface of a large body of water.

The act or process of swelling.

A small ridge or swell moving across the interface of two fluids and dependent on surface tension.

The condition of being swollen.

Often waves The sea

A swollen part; a bulge or protuberance.

A moving curve or succession of curves in or on a surface; an undulation

A long wave on water that moves continuously without breaking.

A curve or succession of curves, as in the hair.

A rise in the land; a rounded elevation.

A curved shape, outline, or pattern.

(Informal) One who is fashionably dressed or socially prominent

A movement up and down or back and forth

A crescendo followed by a gradual diminuendo.

A surge or rush, as of sensation

The sign indicating such a crescendo.

A sudden great rise, as in activity or intensity

A device on an instrument, such as an organ or harpsichord, for regulating volume.

A rising trend that involves large numbers of individuals

Fashionably elegant; stylish.

One of a succession of mass movements

Excellent; wonderful

A maneuver in which fans at a sports event simulate an ocean wave by rising quickly in sequence with arms upraised and then quickly sitting down again in a continuous rolling motion.

(intransitive) To become bigger, especially due to being engorged.

A widespread, persistent meteorological condition, especially of temperature

(transitive) To cause to become bigger.

A disturbance that travels through a medium. Energy is transferred by a wave from one region of the medium to another without causing any permanent displacement of the medium.

(intransitive) To grow gradually in force or loudness.

A graphic representation of the variation of such a disturbance with time.

(transitive) To cause to grow gradually in force or loudness.

A single cycle of a periodic wave.

(transitive) To raise to arrogance; to puff up; to inflate.

To move freely back and forth or up and down in the air, as branches in the wind.

(intransitive) To be raised to arrogance.

To make a signal with an up-and-down or back-and-forth movement of the hand or an object held in the hand

To be elated; to rise arrogantly.

To have an undulating or wavy form; curve or curl

To be turgid, bombastic, or extravagant.

To cause to move back and forth or up and down, either once or repeatedly

To protuberate; to bulge out.

To move or swing as in giving a signal

The act of swelling; increase in size.

To signal or express by waving the hand or an object held in the hand

A bulge or protuberance.

To signal (a person) by using the hand to move in a specified direction

Increase of power in style, or of rhetorical force.

To arrange into curves, curls, or undulations

A long series of ocean waves, generally produced by wind, and lasting after the wind has ceased.

(intransitive) To move back and forth repeatedly and somewhat loosely.

(music) A gradual crescendo followed by diminuendo.

(intransitive) To move one’s hand back and forth (generally above the shoulders) in greeting or departure.

(music) A device for controlling the volume of a pipe organ.

To call attention to, or give a direction or command to, by a waving motion, as of the hand; to signify by waving; to beckon; to signal; to indicate.

(music) A division in a pipe organ, usually the largest enclosed division.

(intransitive) To have an undulating or wavy form.

A hillock or similar raised area of terrain.

(transitive) To raise into inequalities of surface; to give an undulating form or surface to.

(geology) An upward protrusion of strata from whose central region the beds dip quaquaversally at a low angle.

(transitive) To produce waves to the hair.

A person who is stylish, fancy, or elegant.

To swing and miss at a pitch.

(informal) A person of high social standing; an important person.

(transitive) To cause to move back and forth repeatedly.

The front brow of a saddle bow, connected in the tree by the two saddle bars to the cantle on the other end.

To signal (someone or something) with a waving movement.

(dated) Fashionable, like a swell or dandy.

To fluctuate; to waver; to be in an unsettled state.

Excellent.

To move like a wave, or by floating; to waft.

Very well.

To generate a wave.

To grow larger; to dilate or extend the exterior surface or dimensions, by matter added within, or by expansion of the inclosed substance; as, the legs swell in dropsy; a bruised part swells; a bladder swells by inflation.

Obsolete spelling of waive

To increase in size or extent by any addition; to increase in volume or force; as, a river swells, and overflows its banks; sounds swell or diminish.

A moving disturbance in the level of a body of liquid; an undulation.

To rise or be driven into waves or billows; to heave; as, in tempest, the ocean swells into waves.

(poetic) The ocean.

To be puffed up or bloated; as, to swell with pride.

(physics) A moving disturbance in the energy level of a field.

To be inflated; to belly; as, the sails swell.

A shape that alternatingly curves in opposite directions.

To be turgid, bombastic, or extravagant; as, swelling words; a swelling style.

Any of a number of species of moths in the geometrid subfamily Sterrhinae, which have wavy markings on the wings.

To protuberate; to bulge out; as, a cask swells in the middle.

A loose back-and-forth movement, as of the hands.

To be elated; to rise arrogantly.

(figuratively) A sudden, but temporary, uptick in something.

To grow upon the view; to become larger; to expand.

One of the successive swarms of enemies sent to attack the player in certain games.

To become larger in amount; as, many little debts added, swell to a great amount.

(usually "the wave") A group activity in a crowd imitating a wave going through water, where people in successive parts of the crowd stand and stretch upward, then sit.

To act in a pompous, ostentatious, or arrogant manner; to strut; to look big.

See Waive.

To increase the size, bulk, or dimensions of; to cause to rise, dilate, or increase; as, rains and dissolving snow swell the rivers in spring; immigration swells the population.

To play loosely; to move like a wave, one way and the other; to float; to flutter; to undulate.

To aggravate; to heighten.

To be moved to and fro as a signal.

To raise to arrogance; to puff up; to inflate; as, to be swelled with pride or haughtiness.

To fluctuate; to waver; to be in an unsettled state; to vacillate.

To augment gradually in force or loudness, as the sound of a note.

To move one way and the other; to brandish.

The act of swelling.

To raise into inequalities of surface; to give an undulating form a surface to.

Gradual increase.

To move like a wave, or by floating; to waft.

Increase of force, intensity, or volume of sound.

To call attention to, or give a direction or command to, by a waving motion, as of the hand; to signify by waving; to beckon; to signal; to indicate.

A gradual ascent, or rounded elevation, of land; as, an extensive plain abounding with little swells.

An advancing ridge or swell on the surface of a liquid, as of the sea, resulting from the oscillatory motion of the particles composing it when disturbed by any force their position of rest; an undulation.

Increase of power in style, or of rhetorical force.

A vibration propagated from particle to particle through a body or elastic medium, as in the transmission of sound; an assemblage of vibrating molecules in all phases of a vibration, with no phase repeated; a wave of vibration; an undulation. See Undulation.

A wave, or billow; especially, a succession of large waves; the roll of the sea after a storm; as, a heavy swell sets into the harbor.

Water; a body of water.

A gradual increase and decrease of the volume of sound; the crescendo and diminuendo combined; - generally indicated by the sign.

Unevenness; inequality of surface.

A showy, dashing person; a dandy.

A waving or undulating motion; a signal made with the hand, a flag, etc.

Having the characteristics of a person of rank and importance; showy; dandified; distinguished; as, a swell person; a swell neighborhood.

The undulating line or streak of luster on cloth watered, or calendered, or on damask steel.

The undulating movement of the surface of the open sea

Something resembling or likened to a water wave, as in rising unusually high, in being of unusual extent, or in progressive motion; a swelling or excitement, as of feeling or energy; a tide; flood; period of intensity, usual activity, or the like; as, a wave of enthusiasm; waves of applause.

A rounded elevation (especially one on an ocean floor)

One of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)

A crescendo followed by a decrescendo

A movement like that of an ocean wave;

A man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance

(physics) a movement up and down or back and forth

Increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity;

Something that rises rapidly;

Become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger;

The act of signaling by a movement of the hand

Expand abnormally;

A hairdo that creates undulations in the hair

As of feelings and thoughts, or other ephemeral things;

An undulating curve

Come up;

A persistent and widespread unusual weather condition (especially of unusual temperatures)

Cause to become swollen;

A member of the women's reserve of the United States Navy; originally organized during World War II but now no longer a separate branch

Very good;

Signal with the hands or nod;

Move or swing back and forth;

Move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion;

Twist or roll into coils or ringlets;

Set waves in;