quell

1 of 2

verb

ˈkwel 

quelled; quelling; quells

transitive verb

1

: to thoroughly overwhelm and reduce to submission or passivity

quell a riot

2

: quiet, pacify

quell fears

queller noun

quell

2 of 2

noun

1

obsolete : slaughter

2

archaic : the power of quelling

Synonyms of quell

Verb

• subdue
• suppress
• repress
• quash
• crush

Examples of quell in a Sentence

Verb

the National Guard was called in to help quell the late-night disturbances downtown

the principal held up her hand to quell the students so they could hear the urgent announcement

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Blair is called back up to active duty to help quell the pirate attacks—but, of course, there’s more going on than simple pirates. — Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 3 July 2026

The very system itself - schooling and parenting - now operates on quelling agency. — Mimosa Jones Tunney, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Burke said Washington left Bedford, confident that the protest had been quelled through his diplomacy. — Salena Zito, Washington Post, 1 July 2026

Police were called to quell the ensuing violence, which resulted in the partial paralyzation of a young Black girl. — Rachel Tepper Paley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

Noun

Middle English, from quellen to kill

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for quell

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

Kids Definition

quell

verb

ˈkwel

1

: to put down by force

quell a riot

2

: quiet entry 3

quell fears

queller noun