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 There’s no need to dwell on the grimy details, but things went horribly wrong for the Cubs this season. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2024 That last point category is worth dwelling on, as a campaign is really only as good as the data backings its strategy. Philip Elliott, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024 After so many years dwelling in the cellar, a Detroit team is finally inching toward postseason success, one improbable rally at a time. Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 9 Sep. 2024 Keep your job search moving forward, and don’t dwell on one bad experience. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dwell 

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 3 Oct. 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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