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onda

wave

noun OHN-dah Less Common
Descriptions & Qualities Quality

Origin: From Latin unda (wave).

Also means

vibe, style (informal)

Usage Note

Onda covers physical waves (sound, light, radio, water) but in Latin American slang, especially Mexican Spanish, it also means 'vibe', 'thing', or 'what's up' — '¿qué onda?' is a very common informal greeting. In Spain this slang use is less common. The phrase estar en la onda means to be trendy or in the know.

Examples

"La onda de calor afectó toda la región."

Natural Translation

The heat wave affected the whole region.

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