tidal

A tidal wave is like an extremely powerful ocean swell that crashes onto the shore. Think of it as a massive, watery force.

Tidal usually refers to things related to the ocean's tides, or the way the water level rises and falls twice a day due to gravity from the moon and sun. For example, people might talk about going on a tidal hike, which is a walk on the beach at low tide when more of the beach becomes visible. A tidal wave could be caused by an earthquake underwater. If you say something about a tidal shift in politics, you're talking about a big change happening quickly, like a huge ocean swell suddenly hitting the shore.

Some words can have different meanings depending on their part of speech. "Tidal" can also be used as an adjective to describe something that's related to or resembles the ocean's tides. For example, if someone says they're feeling tidal – meaning swept away by strong emotions - it means their feelings are overwhelming them like a powerful wave crashing on the shore.

As a verb, "to tide" means to manage to get through a difficult time, like navigating the rising and falling water levels in the ocean. If you say you tided over until payday, you're saying you made it through a tough spot until things got better.