Meaning & use
groundswell
Last updated
Meaning
nounusually singular
a quickly growing feeling or movement among many ordinary people
Grammar: Usually used with 'a' and followed by 'of': a groundswell of anger.
Patterns
- a groundswell of support
- a groundswell of opinion
- a groundswell against something
There is a groundswell of support for cheaper public transport.
A groundswell of anger against the new law spread across the country.
The party ignored the groundswell of opinion among young voters.
Word forms
| plural | groundswells |
|---|
Common combinations
- a groundswell of support
- The charity felt a groundswell of support after the TV appeal.
- a groundswell of opinion
- A groundswell of opinion forced the manager to resign.
- a growing groundswell
- A growing groundswell of protest worried the government.
- ride a groundswell
- The candidate rode a groundswell of public feeling to victory.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: groundswell or groundwork?
groundswell vs groundwork
Groundwork means the early preparation for something; a groundswell is a growing mass of public feeling.
Practice
There is a groundswell ___ support for the new recycling plan.
Choose one answer.
'A groundswell of support' is the fixed pattern, where 'of' introduces what is growing. 'For' would be used with 'support' alone (support for the plan), but not directly after 'groundswell'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “groundswell”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.