swelling

noun

swell·​ing ˈswe-liŋ 

1

: something that is swollen

specifically : an abnormal bodily protuberance or localized enlargement

2

: the condition of being swollen

Synonyms of swelling

• lump
• bruise
• bump
• nodule
• node

Examples of swelling in a Sentence

There was a swelling above her eye.

The swelling around her eye should subside in a few days.

Recent Examples on the Web

When the swelling on his brain goes down enough, the piece of skull can to be replaced. —Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 6 May 2026

What patients experience—painful nodules, swelling, abscesses and drainage—is the visible endpoint of that internal cascade. —Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 6 May 2026

Mameniskis is familiar with the process, after being fined $5,000 in 2023 for ignoring a liposuction patient as the patient tried to contact him about her post-surgery swelling and fatigue. —David J. Neal may 6, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026

But as the swelling continued to grow and symptoms like night sweats appeared, that sense of unease returned — this time, harder to ignore. —Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for swelling

• belling
• celling
• dwelling
• fehling
• felling
• gelling
• pelling
• quelling
• selling
• shelling
• smelling
• spelling

Kids Definition

swelling

noun

swell·​ing

ˈswel-iŋ

1

: something that is swollen

especially : a swollen part of the body

2

: the condition of being swollen

Medical Definition

swelling

noun

swell·​ing ˈswel-iŋ- 

: an abnormal bodily protuberance or localized enlargement

an inflammatory swelling