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

After being hurt, Mahomes didn’t wait for the swelling in his knee to go down before having the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in his left knee repaired. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2026

The viral disease causes a blotchy rash and flulike symptoms but can develop into severe, life-threatening illnesses, such as pneumonia and brain swelling. — Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 18 Sep. 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

When natural drainage slows, fluid pools in tissues and causes swelling, puffiness and discomfort. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026

The redundancies have cast light on Channel 4’s workforce swelling in recent years. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026