swell

1 of 3

verb

swelled; swelled or swollen ˈswō-lən How to pronounce swell (audio) ; swelling

intransitive verb

1
a
: to expand (as in size, volume, or numbers) gradually beyond a normal or original limit
the population swelled
b
: to become distended or puffed up
her ankle is badly swollen
c
: to form a bulge or rounded elevation
2
a
: to become filled with pride and arrogance
b
: to behave or speak in a pompous, blustering, or self-important manner
c
: to play the swell
3
: to become distended with emotion

transitive verb

1
: to affect with a powerful or expansive emotion
2
: to increase the size, number, or intensity of
swell the applicant pool

swell

2 of 3

noun

1
: a long often massive and crestless wave or succession of waves often continuing beyond or after its cause (such as a gale)
2
a
: the condition of being protuberant
b
: a rounded elevation
3
a
: the act or process of swelling
b(1)
: a gradual increase and decrease of the loudness of a musical sound
also : a sign indicating a swell
(2)
: a device used in an organ for governing loudness
4
a
archaic : an impressive, pompous, or fashionable air or display
b
: a person dressed in the height of fashion
c
: a person of high social position or outstanding competence

swell

3 of 3

adjective

1
a
b
: socially prominent
2
: excellent
used as a generalized term of enthusiasm
Choose the Right Synonym for swell

expand, amplify, swell, distend, inflate, dilate mean to increase in size or volume.

expand may apply regardless of the manner of increase (such as growth, unfolding, addition of parts).

a business that expands every year

amplify implies the extension or enlargement of something inadequate.

amplify the statement with details

swell implies gradual expansion beyond a thing's original or normal limits.

the bureaucracy swelled to unmanageable proportions

distend implies outward extension caused by pressure from within.

a distended abdomen

inflate implies expanding by introduction of air or something insubstantial and suggests a vulnerability to sudden collapse.

an inflated ego

dilate applies especially to expansion of circumference.

dilated pupils

Examples of swell in a Sentence

Verb Her broken ankle swelled badly. Heavy rains swelled the river. The population has swelled in recent years. The economy is swelling at an annual rate of five percent. Immigrants have swelled the population. Noun The storm has brought high winds and heavy swells along the coast. the swell of a pregnant woman's belly a swell in the population the swell of the music Adjective That was a swell party. what a swell time we had at the country club dance
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
But by June 14, the day many subreddits had agreed to reopen, the number of unreachable communities had swollen to more than 8,000. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024 Among reported cases, there were 48,000 hospitalizations, 1,000 cases of encephalitis, or brain swelling, and 500 deaths every year. Discover Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 Most all sales agents on the films – focusing on titles from Spain and Latin America – whose ranks are now swelled by Antonia Nava’s Neo Art International, forecast or saw deal traction on more than one title or a broad slate of films. John Hopewell, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 The escape also swells the emotion in his climactic showdown with Volumnia, who pleads for Rome’s safety. Celia Wren, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 The demographic crisis has become one of Japan’s most pressing issues, with multiple governments failing to reverse the double blow of a falling fertility rate and swelling elderly population. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024 The swelling death toll has already drawn condemnation internationally, isolated Israel and prompted dismay from its traditional friends and allies. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024 Along the southern border, Border Patrol encounters with migrants between ports of entry have swelled to historic highs – more than 2 million a year – under the Biden administration. Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Feb. 2024 She was beguiled by the tropical beauty of the grasslands, where rivers swell during the summers and people lead placid lives on their margins. Ana Karina Zatarain, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2024
Noun
Fortunately, the swell won’t coincide with unusually high tides. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2024 Last week, naval forces captured a dhow carrying Iranian missile warheads bound for Yemen, but lost two Navy SEALs who were swept away by swells in the Arabian Sea. Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2024 Police decided to release the body and security camera footage to try to tame the swell of online misinformation, said Lt. Nick Boatman, a spokesman for Owasso police. USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024 Best Things to Do School of Surf This beach town in Florida was just named the best surf spot in the U.S. for its enviable swells and year-round warm waters. Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 28 Feb. 2024 In one scene, a man holding a spoonful of peanut butter recalls, as his left eye swells closed, that its main ingredient is peanuts. Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 12 Feb. 2024 Sounds swell, my friends say, but absolutely none of that has been communicated to the general public. Vulture, 3 Feb. 2024 Between Black Friday and Christmas, the swell of humanity grows to unfathomable size. Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 The swells were generated by a low-pressure system to the north, west of Oregon, a few days ago. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2023
Adjective
Well, things haven't been swell on the early-00s pop 'It' couple front, with Spears and former boyfriend/boybander Justin Timberlake. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2024 Disney World is swell and those rings are the height of athletic bling, but for NFL athletes, the Super Bowl is also about a nice pay bonus. Chris Morris, Fortune, 12 Feb. 2024 Meanwhile, the upper-income wealthy Americans saw their ranks swell from 25% to 29%, according to Pew data analysis of government data. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 The site of contact will likely redden and swell like a bee sting. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2023 Microsoft last month saw its market capitalization swell to more than $3 trillion, buoyed by the excitement around generative AI and its cloud platform Azure. Will Knight, WIRED, 7 Feb. 2024 Violent strings swell, and Greenwood’s guitar explodes into some of the heaviest, meanest noise he’s ever conjured, mirroring the cathartic collapse Yorke is evoking. Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2024 Their ranks swell to at least 40,000 once state and local officers who work on their task forces are added. Adiel Kaplan, NBC News, 8 Dec. 2023 The blood vessels swell and become sort of leaky, leading to fluid buildup in the tissue. Marla Broadfoot, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swell.' 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

Verb

Middle English, from Old English swellan; akin to Old High German swellan to swell

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of swell was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near swell

Cite this Entry

“Swell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swell. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

swell

1 of 3 verb
swelled; swelled or swollen ˈswō-lən How to pronounce swell (audio) ; swelling
1
a
: to expand (as in size, volume, or numbers) gradually beyond a normal or original limit
rivers swollen by rain
the population swelled
b
: to become abnormally enlarged or puffed up
the sprained ankle swelled badly
c
: to form a bulge or lump
2
: to fill or become filled with pride
3
: to fill or become filled with emotion
his heart was swollen with jealousy

swell

2 of 3 noun
1
a
: a rounded lump
b
: the condition of bulging
2
: a long rolling wave or series of waves in the open sea
3
: a gradual increase and decrease of the loudness of a musical sound
also : a sign marking a swell
4
: a fashionably dressed person

swell

3 of 3 adjective
: very good : excellent

Medical Definition

swell

intransitive verb
swelled; swelled or swollen ˈswō-lən How to pronounce swell (audio) ; swelling
: to become distended or puffed up
her ankle swelled

More from Merriam-Webster on swell

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