dwell

\ ˈdwel

How to pronounce dwell (audio)

\

dwelled\ ˈdweld

How to pronounce dwelled (audio)

, ˈdwelt \ or dwelt\ ˈdwelt

How to pronounce dwelt (audio)

\; 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 upontried not to dwell on my fears

b : to speak or write insistently —used with on or uponreporters dwelling on the recent scandal

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

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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 But Doria doesn’t dwell on real or imagined slights. — Vincent T. Davis, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio man recalls glory days of South Texas baseball," 2 Dec. 2019 But these were only adjectives; the harbor itself did not dwell upon its peacefulness or desolation. — New York Times, "A Mother Journeys Through Grief Across Finland’s Many Islands," 12 Nov. 2019 The generous setback, long driveway and large lot also offer a fabulous opportunity to substantially expand the living space or add an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). — Monica Lander, The Mercury News, "Sponsored: Stylish updates and a prime neighborhood with amazing expansion potential," 17 Sep. 2019 The Panthers can’t dwell on this loss as they host division rival Tampa Bay (0-1) on Thursday night. — Steve Reed, The Denver Post, "Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey could use some help on offense," 9 Sep. 2019 Orlando tweaked its rules last year, dropping the need to add a parking space for an accessory dwelling unit that is 500 square feet or less. — Stephen Hudak, orlandosentinel.com, "Orange County mulls changes to allow granny flats, garage apartments and other lower-cost housing options," 19 June 2019 Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese and other foreign merchants dwelled in their own prosperous quarter, trading spices, textiles, opium, iron, tobacco, sulfur and pepper for rice and ivory. — Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian, "The Hidden City of Myanmar," 21 Nov. 2019 Part of the challenge is really being able to take that mistake and throw it in the backseat and not dwell on it. — Jeff Yip, Houston Chronicle, "Resilient women hunt adventure, checkpoints in Rebelle Rally," 8 Nov. 2019 Others have naturally felt an urge to justify their choice to themselves and to others: to minimize his faults, to look away from them, to grow resentful of those who keep dwelling on them. — Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, "Character Effects," 7 Nov. 2019

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.

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Last Updated

7 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Dwell.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dwell. Accessed 13 December 2019.

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More Definitions for dwell

dwell

verb

English Language Learners Definition of dwell

literary + formal : to live in a particular place

See the full definition for dwell in the English Language Learners Dictionary

dwell

\ ˈdwel

\

dwelt\ ˈdwelt \ or dwelled\ ˈdweld \; dwelling

Kids Definition of dwell

1 : to live in a place : reside

2 : to keep the attention directed Try not to dwell on your mistakes.

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