dwell

verb

Save Word

\ ˈdwel

dwelled\ ˈdweld

, ˈdwelt \ or dwelt\ ˈdwelt

\; dwelling

Definition of dwell

intransitive verb

1 : to remain for a time dwell in the hallway

2a : 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

3a : 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

Other Words from dwell Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about dwell

Keep scrolling for more

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 Even after buying an Auth0-alternative, Stormpath, in March 2017, a month before taking Okta public, McKinnon continued to dwell on the one-that-got-away. — Robert Hackett, Fortune, "Okta’s Auth0 deal closes: Inside the 8-year, $6.5 billion courtship," 3 May 2021 Ufologists liked to dwell on certain historic encounters, like Roswell, where any solid evidence that might once have existed had become hopelessly entangled with mythology. — Gideon Lewis-kraus, The New Yorker, "How the Pentagon Started Taking U.F.O.s Seriously," 30 Apr. 2021 History doesn’t provide a clear guide to the future — many economists avoid studying it, preferring instead to dwell on mathematical models, the latest changes in fiscal and monetary policy and statistically significant leading indicators. — Robert J. Shiller, New York Times, "Looking Back at the First Roaring Twenties," 16 Apr. 2021 Each of us seems to dwell alone within a damp grotto of private thoughts. — Melissa Fay Greene, The Atlantic, "How Will We Remember the Pandemic?," 6 Apr. 2021 It’s not something high school history teachers tend to dwell on. — Jenny Singer, Glamour, "Who Thinks of Incarcerated People in a Pandemic? These Women," 30 Mar. 2021 Those vivid particulars were the stuff of Mrs. Palatschinke’s fictive magic, the sheer pluck and verve that conjured up a complete world out of absences, an easier world to dwell on. — Lauren Markham, Harper's Magazine, "From “Inside Stories,” an essay published in the Winter 2021 issue of," 16 Mar. 2021 Snell, the 2018 American League Cy Young winner, still can’t believe it, but refuses to dwell on it. — Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, "'We're in a new year:' Blake Snell focused on Padres, not dwelling on World Series nightmare," 4 Mar. 2021 Not everyone wants to dwell on the nuance of their alcohol, some people just want to mix a drink, and the Moscow Mule—easy, quick, delicious—was the first such lesson. — Jason O'bryan, Robb Report, "How to Make a Moscow Mule, the Vodka Cocktail With the Coolest Mug in All of Mixology," 25 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dwell.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.