dwell

verb

ˈdwel 

dwelled ˈdweld 

ˈdwelt

or dwelt ˈdwelt  ; 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

ˈdwe-lər 

noun

Synonyms of dwell

• remain
• stay
• wait

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

The buyers who have been flooding Thomas’s phone have not been dwelling on practicalities. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 8 Sep. 2026

Still, the episode has little time to dwell on logical lapses because each scene gets its leads closer to an inevitable betrayal one way or another. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026

During the standoff, deputies contacted residents of an accessory dwelling unit in the backyard and evacuated three adults and three children unhurt. — Vince Basada, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2026

The film’s title refers to a folk legend about a mythic creature that dwells in Bhutan’s icy mountains, and suggests all that is being lost with melting glaciers. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2026

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

Phrases Containing dwell

• dwell on/upon

Rhymes for dwell

• bel
• belle
• cel
• cell
• dell
• el
• ell
• fel
• fell
• gel
• gell
• jell

Kids Definition

dwell

verb

ˈdwel 

dwelled ˈdweld  ˈdwelt  or dwelt ˈdwelt  ; 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