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

The latest appearance will do little to quell criticism of Infantino, who is standing currently unopposed for re-election as FIFA president. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 18 July 2026

But England managed to quell any lingering feeling with a try after only four minutes to winger Tommy Freeman, then a double to backrower Ben Earl which gave it a 19-3 lead at halftime. — ABC News, 18 July 2026

Meanwhile, the tech industry is struggling to quell a mounting AI backlash, which has largely taken the form of opposition to data centers. — Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 July 2026

Council members will return early from their July recess to consider what policy changes might help quell the public safety issue in Charlotte. — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 13 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