errant Waves

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "errant Waves" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe waves that are wandering or straying from their expected path, often in a poetic or metaphorical context. Example: "The errant waves crashed against the shore, creating a mesmerizing dance of water and foam."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Japan sits at the confluence of three tectonic plates and constitutes the  most volcanically active fragment of our planetary crust – resulting in frequent earthquakes and murderous errant waves.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The first errant wave reduced it to a wet lump, and him to tears.

The New Yorker

One of the men is Mr. Dao, a slender man who wanders in and out of "A Walk" like an errant scarecrow, arms waving, sometimes wildly and more often in semaphoric gestures.

The New York Times - Arts

While bailing with a sponge continuously, dealing with the waves and errant wind gusts and occasionally consulting my compass, I inadvertently hauled about a half-mile out of the way to the northward before I saw a familiar stretch of shoreline and could set a course for the mouth of the Rapid River.

The New York Times - Sports

With the help of Suzanne Newman, the owner, she'd chosen a small headpiece — a fascinator, strictly speaking — with skinny blue and black feathers waving about like errant thoughts.

The New York Times

Villagers wave the wagon in errant directions.

The New York Times - Arts

For example, he says that blind landing areas and high rough on the inside of a dogleg are documented pace-of-play killers because they lead to waves of golfers looking for errant shots.

The New York Times

ANYONE who thought that the conviction last week of the former bosses of Enron, Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, would draw a line under the wave of criminal prosecutions of errant executives should think again.

The Economist

A new edition of Miguel de Cervantes' 17th-century novel Don Quixote, which sees the classic story of the would-be knight errant adapted into modern Spanish, might be making waves in Spain, but Don Quixote scholar Ilan Stavans has said that Andrés Trapiello's new version is needed if Spaniards are to keep on reading one of their country's most celebrated works of literature.

The Guardian - Books

If you've ever winced at an errant tweet you just sent or felt a wave of worry about wearing the wrong thing in the office or caught your breath after sending off a too-casual email, you know it can be easy to find yourself paralysed for some time afterward.

BBC

Think of those moments when an errant pedestrian or cyclist crosses against the light only to be followed by a wave of compatriots.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "errant waves", ensure the context clearly implies a deviation from the expected or normal behavior of waves. This phrase is best suited for descriptive or metaphorical writing.

Common error

Avoid using "errant waves" simply to mean 'large waves'. "Errant" implies a deviation from the norm, not just size or power. For instance, use "large waves" or "powerful waves" if that's your intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "errant waves" primarily functions as a descriptive noun phrase, where "errant" modifies the noun "waves". Ludwig AI shows that the phrase is used to describe waves that deviate from their expected course. It's an evocative image, particularly useful in narrative or descriptive writing.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "errant waves" describes waves that deviate from their normal course, often implying unpredictability or danger. Ludwig AI identifies its grammatical status as correct. It's a relatively rare phrase, most commonly found in news and media contexts. When using the term, it's important to ensure the context clearly indicates the intended meaning of deviation rather than simply describing large waves. "Wayward waves" and "stray waves" offer semantically similar alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

wayward waves

Replaces "errant" with "wayward", emphasizing deviation from the expected path.

stray waves

Substitutes "errant" with "stray", highlighting the wandering nature of the waves.

rogue waves

Replaces "errant" with "rogue", suggesting a more dangerous and unpredictable nature.

wandering waves

Uses "wandering" instead of "errant", emphasizing the lack of a fixed course.

unpredictable waves

Focuses on the lack of predictability, rather than the deviation from a path.

deviant waves

Emphasizes the departure from the norm or expected behavior of waves.

aberrant waves

Uses "aberrant" to describe waves that deviate from the standard or typical.

irregular waves

Highlights the lack of regularity or pattern in the waves' behavior.

unruly waves

Suggests that the waves are difficult to control or manage.

erratic waves

Replaces "errant" with "erratic", which emphasizes the unpredictable nature of the wave's movement.

FAQs

What does "errant" mean in the context of "errant waves"?

In the phrase "errant waves", "errant" means straying or deviating from the regular course. It suggests that the waves are behaving in an unpredictable or unusual manner.

What are some synonyms for "errant waves"?

Alternatives to "errant waves" include "stray waves", "wayward waves", and "rogue waves", each carrying a slightly different nuance of unpredictability or deviation.

Is "errant waves" a common phrase in scientific literature?

While "errant" can be used in scientific contexts to describe deviations, phrases like "rogue waves" or "freak waves" are more commonly used in scientific and technical literature to describe unexpectedly large and dangerous waves.

How can I use "errant waves" in a sentence?

You might use "errant waves" in a sentence like: "The ship struggled against the errant waves during the storm" or "The small boat was tossed about by the errant waves near the shore."