Synonyms of swell

swell 1 of 3

adjective

1

as in great

of the very best kind

what a swell time we had at the country club dance

Synonyms & Similar Words

• great
• excellent
• terrific
• wonderful
• lovely
• awesome
• superb
• fantastic
• beautiful
• prime
• stellar
• fabulous
• fine
• marvelous
• hot
• cool
• cracking
• neat
• heavenly
• slick
• quality
• immense
• splendid
• famous
• sensational
• brave
• divine
• top
• good
• classic
• dandy
• peachy
• topping
• par excellence
• grand
• mean
• sterling
• banner
• groovy
• superior
• crackerjack
• first-class
• unsurpassed
• first-rate
• superlative
• keen
• gone
• exceptional
• noble
• prize
• too much
• dope
• choice
• bang-up
• fab
• blue-ribbon
• radical
• righteous
• nifty
• down
• dynamite
• capital
• bumper
• top-notch
• gangbusters
• number one
• tip-top
• first-string
• high-class
• out of this world
• supernal
• blue-chip
• corking
• decent
• primo
• top-shelf
• better
• frontline
• bully
• boss
• fantabulous
• boffo
• topflight
• brag
• hype
• out-of-sight
• bonny
• prizewinning
• A-OK
• peachy keen
• wizard
• adequate
• satisfactory
• special
• jim-dandy
• A1
• phat
• acceptable
• tolerable
• top-of-the-line
• passable
• five-star
• all right
• numero uno
• OK
• gilt-edged
• four-star
• classical
• fancy
• traditional
• premium
• high-grade
• select
• high-test
• standard
• superfine

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• poor
• terrible
• awful
• rotten
• pathetic
• wretched
• vile
• lousy
• atrocious
• bad
• unsatisfactory
• inferior
• low-grade
• substandard
• execrable
• mediocre
• middling
• second-class
• second-rate

2

as in happening

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 & Similar Words

• happening
• fashionable
• stylish
• chic
• fresh
• exclusive
• hip
• cool
• swish
• elegant
• smart
• sharp
• supercool
• modish
• trendy
• voguish
• handsome
• in
• snappy
• graceful
• au courant
• haute
• sophisticated
• funky
• dashing
• à la mode
• kicky
• spiffy
• saucy
• downtown
• natty
• spruce
• flossy
• rakish
• swank
• dapper
• sassy
• edgy
• majestic
• posh
• classy
• gallant
• tasteful
• ritzy
• chichi
• dressy
• nobby
• doggy
• doggish
• foppish
• soigné
• refined
• understated
• ultrahip
• ultrasmart
• flashy
• dandyish
• ultrasophisticated
• ultracool
• dudish
• stately
• ultrachic
• ultraposh

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• out
• unfashionable
• unattractive
• outmoded
• uncool
• unbecoming
• tacky
• cheesy
• dowdy
• wrinkled
• sloppy
• tasteless
• messy
• slovenly
• inelegant
• trashy
• unchic
• untidy
• unkempt
• unstylish
• graceless
• unmodish
• rumpled
• styleless
• disheveled
• unhandsome
• shabby
• frowsy
• mussy
• sleazy

swell

2 of 3

verb

ˈswel 

1

as in to increase

to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number

the club membership has really swelled in recent months

Synonyms & Similar Words

• increase
• rise
• accelerate
• expand
• climb
• multiply
• intensify
• wax
• accumulate
• spread
• proliferate
• surge
• roll up
• boom
• escalate
• enlarge
• gain
• balloon
• mount
• appreciate
• jump
• snowball
• build up
• burgeon
• heighten
• mushroom
• skyrocket
• peak
• rocket
• bulk
• inflate
• distend
• redouble
• puff (up)
• blow up
• crest
• crescendo

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• decrease
• diminish
• recede
• lessen
• contract
• dwindle
• wane

2

as in to expand

to make greater in size, amount, or number

more layoffs will swell the ranks of the unemployed to unprecedented levels

Synonyms & Similar Words

• increase
• expand
• accelerate
• boost
• augment
• raise
• multiply
• extend
• stoke
• intensify
• enhance
• add (to)
• amplify
• reinforce
• escalate
• enlarge
• aggrandize
• maximize
• strengthen
• up
• build up
• compound
• pump up
• hype
• supersize
• skyrocket
• inflate
• spike
• jump
• boom
• distend
• heighten
• dilate
• develop
• stretch
• supplement
• lengthen
• draw out
• elongate
• bump (up)
• prolong
• blow up
• magnify
• complement
• accumulate
• flesh (out)
• protract
• ratchet (up)
• amass
• beef (up)
• rachet (up)
• collect
• parlay
• follow up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reduce
• decrease
• diminish
• dwindle
• lessen
• abate
• lower
• downsize
• subtract (from)
• shorten
• curtail
• abbreviate
• abridge
• minify
• compress
• constrict
• contract
• condense
• de-escalate
• cut back
• retrench

3

as in to protrude

to extend outward beyond a usual point

at that point the Congo River swells and forms Malebo Pool

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protrude
• bulge
• poke
• stand out
• jut
• project
• overhang
• stick out
• bunch
• balloon
• billow
• pout
• pouch
• start
• beetle
• belly
• pooch
• dome
• extend
• inflate
• bag
• stretch
• dilate
• distend
• lengthen
• expand
• blow up
• elongate
• snowball
• mushroom

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shrink
• contract
• compress
• condense
• constrict

swell

3 of 3

noun

1

as in projection

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 & Similar Words

• projection
• bulge
• section
• dome
• protuberance
• protrusion
• overhang
• swelling
• convexity
• expansion
• portion
• jut
• piece
• block
• knot
• bunch
• lump
• bump
• puff
• increase
• dilatation
• snag
• knob
• mound
• hill
• blob
• hump
• enlargement
• escalation
• nub
• gibbosity
• obtrusion
• knurl

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• cavity
• depression
• pit
• well
• hollow
• dent
• hole
• recess
• valley
• basin
• bowl
• indentation
• dip
• crater
• concave
• concavity
• indenture
• impression
• dint
• trough
• pocket
• groove
• indent
• trench
• furrow
• notch
• gouge
• dimple

2

as in wave

a moving ridge on the surface of water

huge swells overwhelmed the tiny craft

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wave
• surge
• billow
• tsunami
• ripple
• surf
• curl
• sea(s)
• breaker
• whitecap
• ground swell
• roller
• comber
• riffle
• tidal wave
• wavelet

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb swell differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of swell are amplify, dilate, distend, expand, and inflate. While all these words mean "to increase in size or volume," swell implies gradual expansion beyond a thing's original or normal limits.

the bureaucracy swelled to unmanageable proportions

In what contexts can amplify take the place of swell?

The synonyms amplify and swell are sometimes interchangeable, but amplify implies the extension or enlargement of something inadequate.

amplify the statement with details

When might dilate be a better fit than swell?

While the synonyms dilate and swell are close in meaning, dilate applies especially to expansion of circumference.

dilated pupils

When could distend be used to replace swell?

The words distend and swell are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, distend implies outward extension caused by pressure from within.

a distended abdomen

When would expand be a good substitute for swell?

Although the words expand and swell have much in common, expand may apply regardless of the manner of increase (such as growth, unfolding, addition of parts).

a business that expands every year

When is it sensible to use inflate instead of swell?

While in some cases nearly identical to swell, inflate implies expanding by introduction of air or something insubstantial and suggests a vulnerability to sudden collapse.

an inflated ego

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of swell

Adjective

Excessive moisture can cause wood to warp, split, crack, swell, and possibly mold. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 July 2026

Don’t get me wrong — if crystals and candles work for you, that’s swell. — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026

Verb

These wetlands, connected to the river, act as natural reservoirs that absorb and hold water, especially when the river swells with meltwater or heavy rain. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Advertisement Conversations swell through the room in waves, often prompted by Greaves himself, who was not just a filmmaker but also a poet and sculptor, a man who acted and danced. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

Noun

In Newport Beach, water from a massive swell — double the size that was initially predicted — blasted through 20-foot berms erected at the beach and inundated roads with about a foot of sea water ahead of Rachel’s arrival. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Already, waves are approaching a seaside rail line and oceanfront homes were damaged during swells last month tied to Hurricane Marie. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026