a wave resulting from the periodic flow of the tides that is caused by the gravitational attraction of the moon and sun
an unusual (and often destructive) rise of water along the seashore caused by a storm or a combination of wind and high tide
an overwhelming manifestation of some emotion or phenomenon; "a tidal wave of nausea"; "the flood of letters hit him with the force of a tidal wave"; "a tidal wave of crime"
the decisive moment in a novel or play; "the deathbed scene is the climax of the play"
arrangement of clauses in ascending order of forcefulness
the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding; "the climax of the artist's career"; "in the flood tide of his success"
the quality of being difficult to do; "he assigned a series of problems of increasing hardness"; "the ruggedness of his exams caused half the class to fail"
the property of being rigid and resistant to pressure; not easily scratched; measured on Mohs scale
a constitutional tendency to be gloomy and depressed
characterized by or causing or expressing sadness; "growing more melancholy every hour"; "her melancholic smile"; "we acquainted him with the melancholy truth"