nounmasculinepl: tsunamis
tsunami
1. a long high sea wave caused by an earthquake, submarine landslide, or other disturbance
The earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean.
O terremoto desencadeou um tsunami devastador que varreu o Oceano Índico.
2. figuratively, a large or overwhelming surge of something
The company faced a tsunami of complaints after the product recall.
A empresa enfrentou um tsunami de reclamações após o recall do produto.
The word 'tsunami' originates from Japanese (tsu = harbor, nami = wave) and entered global usage after the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. In both Brazil and Portugal, the term is widely understood and used in scientific, journalistic, and casual contexts. It's often used metaphorically in Portuguese to describe overwhelming surges of events, emotions, or situations.
Related Idioms & Phrases
a tsunami of (something) - uma enxurrada de, um tsunami de
hit like a tsunami - atingir como um tsunami
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