quell

¹quell

transitive verb \ˈkwel\

Definition of QUELL

1

: to thoroughly overwhelm and reduce to submission or passivity <quell a riot>

2

: quiet, pacify <quell fears>

— quell·er noun

Examples of QUELL

1. <the National Guard was called in to help quell the late-night disturbances downtown>
2. <the principal held up her hand to quell the students so they could hear the urgent announcement>

Origin of QUELL

Middle English, to kill, quell, from Old English cwellan to kill; akin to Old High German quellen to torture, kill, quāla torment, Lithuanian gelti to hurt

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to QUELL

Synonyms

clamp down (on), crack down (on), crush, put down, quash, repress, silence, slap down, snuff (out), squash, squelch, subdue, suppress, sit on

Related Words

douse (also dowse), extinguish, put out, quench; smother, stifle, strangle, throttle; annihilate, decimate, demolish, desolate, destroy, devastate, nuke, rub out, ruin, smash, waste, wreck; exterminate, obliterate, wipe out; conquer, dominate, overcome, overpower, overwhelm, subdue, subjugate, vanquish

Near Antonyms

abet, aid, assist, back, help, prop up, support; foment, incite, instigate, provoke, stir, whip (up); advance, cultivate, encourage, forward, foster, further, nourish, nurture, promote

Rhymes with QUELL

bel, bell, belle, cel, cell, dell, dwell, el, ell, fell, gel, Hel, hell, jell, knell, l, mell, sell, shell, smell, snell, spell, swell, tell, well, yell

²quell

noun

Definition of QUELL

1

obsolete : slaughter

2

archaic : the power of quelling

Origin of QUELL

Middle English, from quellen to kill

First Known Use: 15th century