Synonyms of swelling

swelling 1 of 3

noun

ˈswe-liŋ 

as in lump

a small rounded mass of swollen tissue

the swelling at the site of the insect bite was not too concerning

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lump
• bruise
• bump
• nodule
• node
• tumor
• knot
• growth
• blister
• welt
• wart
• contusion
• hunch
• boil
• hump
• chunk
• clump
• knob
• blob
• gob
• nub
• hunk
• wad
• gobbet
• nugget
• clod
• nubble

swelling

2 of 3

adjective

as in surging

Related Words

• surging
• rolling
• rippled
• wavy
• rippling
• undulating
• undulant
• billowing
• undulatory
• rutted
• lopsided
• unaligned
• pocked
• rutty
• pitted
• unbalanced
• knobby
• inexact
• knobbly
• knurled
• nubby
• nubbly
• knurly

Dissimilar Words

• uniform
• exact
• true
• regular
• vertical
• aligned
• horizontal
• straight
• smooth
• level
• flat
• even
• tabular
• flush
• plumb
• plane

swelling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of swell

1

as in increasing

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

the club membership has really swelled in recent months

Synonyms & Similar Words

• increasing
• rising
• accelerating
• expanding
• climbing
• intensifying
• multiplying
• waxing
• ballooning
• escalating
• spreading
• accumulating
• enlarging
• mushrooming
• proliferating
• surging
• snowballing
• mounting
• booming
• burgeoning
• rolling up
• gaining
• jumping
• appreciating
• heightening
• skyrocketing
• building up
• distending
• rocketing
• peaking
• inflating
• redoubling
• puffing (up)
• bulking
• cresting
• blowing up
• crescendoing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• decreasing
• diminishing
• contracting
• lessening
• receding
• waning
• dwindling

2

as in accelerating

to make greater in size, amount, or number

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• increasing
• accelerating
• expanding
• augmenting
• boosting
• multiplying
• raising
• extending
• escalating
• enhancing
• enlarging
• intensifying
• adding (to)
• compounding
• strengthening
• stoking
• reinforcing
• amplifying
• maximizing
• pumping up
• upping
• aggrandizing
• building up
• hyping
• skyrocketing
• distending
• lengthening
• stretching
• spiking
• supersizing
• dilating
• heightening
• inflating
• booming
• jumping
• bumping (up)
• supplementing
• developing
• elongating
• prolonging
• ratcheting (up)
• drawing out
• magnifying
• blowing up
• accumulating
• complementing
• fleshing (out)
• protracting
• racheting (up)
• beefing (up)
• amassing
• collecting
• following up
• parlaying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reducing
• decreasing
• diminishing
• lessening
• lowering
• dwindling
• downsizing
• subtracting (from)
• abating
• shortening
• curtailing
• abridging
• contracting
• minifying
• compressing
• abbreviating
• constricting
• condensing
• de-escalating
• cutting back
• retrenching

3

as in protruding

to extend outward beyond a usual point

at that point the Congo River swells and forms Malebo Pool

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protruding
• poking
• bulging
• jutting
• ballooning
• standing out
• billowing
• overhanging
• pouting
• sticking out
• projecting
• bellying
• bunching
• pouching
• pooching
• starting
• beetling
• bagging
• lengthening
• stretching
• extending
• doming
• distending
• dilating
• inflating
• expanding
• mushrooming
• snowballing
• elongating
• blowing up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shrinking
• contracting
• compressing
• condensing
• constricting

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of swelling

Noun

Those who have blood clots typically first develop swelling, pain or redness along the affected area and an ultrasound is used to diagnose it and search for deeper blood clots, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

The officer had facial swelling and arm pain and was taken to a local hospital for treatment, a state prosecutor said in court Monday. — Mark Morales, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026

Adjective

The hope was this would mean less swelling, less pain and, potentially, a significantly faster recovery. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 13 May 2026

Another effective anti-swelling remedy is a delicious snack that may be hiding in the fridge. — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 27 Oct. 2025

Verb

Watch for a new or unexplained lump in the breast or armpit, ongoing breast pain unrelated to the menstrual cycle, skin dimpling or redness, a newly inverted nipple or unexpected discharge and swelling in the lymph nodes near the arm or collarbone. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026

Over the past decade, school districts across Texas have sought to make classrooms safer by swelling the number of police officers on campuses and taking a tougher stance on misbehavior. — Kristian Hernández, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Oct. 2026