Word
spiked
US/ˈspaɪkt/
UK/spˈaɪkt/
Definition
adj. having sharp points or showing a sudden, large increase in something. You use it to describe hair that stands up or a graph that goes up very fast.
adj. characterised by sharp, pointed protrusions or exhibiting a sudden, sharp increase in value or intensity. Often used as a participial adjective to describe physical textures or statistical trends.
Examples
“The graph shows a spiked increase in sales this month.”
“He walked into the room with spiked hair and a leather jacket, looking like a 1970s punk rocker.”
“Economists noted that while the market remained stable for most of the year, it experienced a spiked volatility immediately following the unexpected election results.”
Examples
simple
“The graph shows a spiked increase in sales this month.”
contextual
“He walked into the room with spiked hair and a leather jacket, looking like a 1970s punk rocker.”
complex
“Economists noted that while the market remained stable for most of the year, it experienced a spiked volatility immediately following the unexpected election results.”
Usage
Often follows a linking verb like 'look' or 'become', or precedes a noun as a modifier.
Real-World Examples
“Sales of Maus spiked in response to the bans.” “Social media accounts spiked, shirts sold out, match tickets went for stupid money.” Scan code
englishreference.com/q/spiked