swell

1 of the very best kind what a swell time we had at the country club dance Synonyms A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo, bonny (also bonnie) [chiefly British], boss [slang], brag, brave, bully, bumper, capital, choice, classic, cool [slang], corking, crackerjack, cracking, dandy, divine, dope [slang], down [slang], dynamite, fab, fabulous, famous, fantabulous [slang], fantastic, fine, first-class, first-rate, first-string, five-star, four-star, frontline, gangbusters (also gangbuster), gilt-edged (or gilt-edge), gone [slang], grand, great, groovy, heavenly, high-class, hot, hype [slang], immense, jim-dandy, keen, lovely, marvelous (or marvellous), mean, neat, nifty, noble, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, out-of-sight [slang], par excellence, peachy, peachy keen, phat [slang], prime, primo [slang], prize, prizewinning, quality, radical [slang], righteous [slang], sensational, slick, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, supernal, excellent, terrific, tip-top, top, top-flight, top-notch, top-of-the-line, topping [chiefly British], top-shelf, unsurpassed, wizard [chiefly British], wonderfulRelated Words acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, good, OK (or okay), passable, satisfactory, tolerable; better, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, high-test, premium, select, special, superfine; classical, standard, traditionalNear Antonyms bad, inferior, low-grade, substandard, unsatisfactory; mediocre, middling, second-class, second-rateAntonyms atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten, terrible, vile, wretched

2 being in the latest or current fashion in its heyday as a summer resort, the town was known for its swanky hotels and swell restaurants Synonyms à la mode (also a la mode), au courant, chic, cool [slang], exclusive, fashionable, fresh [slang], happening, hip, in, modish, sharp, smart, snappy, supercool, stylish, swish, trendy, voguishRelated Words downtown, edgy, funky; dapper, dashing, dressy, kicky, natty, rakish, sassy, saucy, spiffy, spruce; chichi, classy, flossy, haute (also haut), nobby, posh, ritzy, soigné (or soignée), swank (or swanky); elegant, graceful, handsome, majestic, refined, sophisticated, stately, tasteful, understated; doggish, doggy, flashy, gallant; dandyish, dudish, foppish; ultrachic, ultracool, ultrahip, ultraposh, ultrasmart, ultrasophisticatedNear Antonyms cheesy, tacky, unattractive, unbecoming; graceless, inelegant, tasteless, trashy, unhandsome; frowsy (or frowzy), sloppy, slovenly, unkempt, untidy; disheveled (or dishevelled), messy, mussy, rumpled, wrinkled; shabby, sleazyAntonyms dowdy, out, outmoded, styleless, unchic, uncool, unfashionable, unmodish, unstylish

1 to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the club membership has really swelled in recent months Synonyms accelerate, accumulate, appreciate, balloon, boom, build up, burgeon (also bourgeon), climb, enlarge, escalate, expand, gain, mount, multiply, mushroom, proliferate, rise, roll up, snowball, spread, increase, waxRelated Words jump, rocket, skyrocket, surge; heighten, intensify, redouble; blow up, bulk, distend, inflate, puff (up); crescendo, crest, peakAntonyms contract, decrease, diminish, dwindle, lessen, recede, wane

2 to make greater in size, amount, or number more layoffs will swell the ranks of the unemployed to unprecedented levels Synonyms accelerate, add (to), aggrandize, amplify, augment, boost, build up, compound, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, hype, multiply, pump up, raise, increase, stoke, supersize, upRelated Words boom, jump, skyrocket, spike; bump (up), ratchet (up) also rachet (up); blow up, dilate, distend, inflate; draw out, elongate, flesh (out), lengthen, prolong, protract, stretch; develop, enhance, heighten, intensify, magnify; complement, supplement; beef (up), reinforce (also reenforce), strengthen; maximize; accumulate, amass, collect; follow up, parlayNear Antonyms abbreviate, abridge, curtail, shorten; compress, condense, constrict, contract; cut back, retrenchAntonyms abate, decrease, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, lessen, lower, minify, reduce, subtract (from)

3 to extend outward beyond a usual point at that point the Congo River swells and forms Malebo Pool Synonyms bag, balloon, beetle, belly, billow, bunch, jut, overhang, poke, pooch [chiefly dialect], pouch, pout, project, protrude, stand out, start, stick out, bulgeRelated Words dome; blow up, inflate; dilate, distend, expand; mushroom, snowball; elongate, extend, lengthen, stretchNear Antonyms compress, condense, constrict, contract, shrink

1 a part that sticks out from the general mass of something the graceful swell of the bottle was meant to be evocative of the female figure Synonyms bunch, convexity, jut, overhang, projection, protrusion, protuberance, bulgeRelated Words dome; blob, bump, dilatation, gibbosity, hump, knob, knot, knurl, lump, nub, obtrusion, puff, snag, swelling; block, piece, portion, section; enlargement, escalation, expansion, increase; hill, moundNear Antonyms crater, hole, well; basin, bowl, dip, valley; furrow, groove, trench, trough; dimple, gouge, impression, notch, pocketAntonyms cavity, concave, concavity, dent, depression, dint, hollow, indent, indentation, indenture, pit, recess

2 a moving ridge on the surface of water huge swells overwhelmed the tiny craft Synonyms billow, surge, waveRelated Words sea(s); surf; breaker, whitecap; comber, curl; riffle, ripple, wavelet; ground swell, roller; tidal wave, tsunami