dwell

verb

dwelled ˈdweld How to pronounce dwell (audio)
ˈdwelt
or dwelt ˈdwelt How to pronounce dwell (audio) ; dwelling

intransitive verb

1
: to remain for a time
dwell in the hallway
2
a
: to live as a resident
the town in which he dwelled for eight years
the dwelling place of the gods
b
: exist, lie
where the heart of the matter dwells
3
a
: to keep the attention directed
used with on or upon
tried not to dwell on my fears
b
: to speak or write insistently
used with on or upon
reporters dwelling on the recent scandal
dweller noun

Examples of dwell in a Sentence

a cave where bats dwell dwelling with a farm family as an exchange student in France
Recent Examples on the Web Churches and other religious institutions would be allowed to build up to 20 dwelling units per acre without a need for additional zoning reviews or government approval. The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 Astronomers recently used a combination of special telescopes to image the center of M87 and the supermassive black hole that dwells there. Dean Regas, The Enquirer, 2 Mar. 2024 Bravo joins in on calling the aesthetic tacky and cheap and dwells on the moral impurities the aesthetic resembles. Aneliza Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Most of the world’s elk population dwells in the Rocky Mountain West. Jace Bauserman, Field & Stream, 22 Feb. 2024 His stories also dwell on individuals’ isolation within that collective experience. Vivian Wang, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 This time, the movie is notably up front about Celie’s queerness, offers more nuanced characterizations of the story’s Black men and dwells less on Celie’s abuse than on her ascendance from difficult circumstance. Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024 For these people, now in their mid-30s or younger, Navalny’s fairly simple political program, which looked to Russia’s future rather than dwelling on its past, was a novelty. Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024 The aim is to look forward and find ways to improve, instead of dwelling on the past. Melody Wilding, Lmsw, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dwell.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English dwellan to go astray, hinder; akin to Old High German twellen to tarry

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dwell was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near dwell

Cite this Entry

“Dwell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dwell. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dwell

verb
dwelled ˈdweld How to pronounce dwell (audio) ˈdwelt How to pronounce dwell (audio) or dwelt ˈdwelt How to pronounce dwell (audio) ; dwelling
1
: to stay for a while
2
: to live in a place : reside
3
: to keep the attention directed
dwelled on their mistakes
dweller noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dwell

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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