Link Centre Dictionary

swell

UK/swɛl/ US/ˈswɛl/ common informal slang us
verb (6) noun (4) adjective (1)

verb

1.

increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity

  • “The music swelled to a crescendo”
2.

become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger

  • “The mother was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son”
Synonyms
3.

expand abnormally

  • “The bellies of the starving children are swelling”
Synonyms
4.

as of feelings and thoughts, or other ephemeral things

  • “Strong emotions welled up”
  • “Smoke swelled from it”
Synonyms
5.

come up

  • “Tears well in her eyes”
Synonyms
6.

cause to become swollen

  • “The water swells the wood”

noun

1.

the undulating movement of the surface of the open sea

Synonyms
2.
3.

a crescendo followed by a decrescendo

4.

adjective

1.

very good

  • “he did a bully job”
  • “a neat sports car”
  • “had a great time at the party”
  • “you look simply smashing”
Synonyms
Similar

Origin

From Middle English swellen, from Old English swellan (“to swell”), from Proto-West Germanic *swellan, from Proto-Germanic *swellaną (“to swell”), of unknown origin. Cognate with Saterland Frisian swälle (“to swell”), West Frisian swolle (“to swell”), Dutch zwellen (“to swell”), Low German swellen (“to swell”), German schwellen (“to swell”), Swedish svälla (“to swell”), Icelandic svella. The adjective may derive from the noun.

Phrases

  • ground swell
  • knee swell
  • one swell foop
  • swell box
  • swell hell
  • swell mob
  • swell organ
  • swell out
  • swell the ranks
  • swell up
  • Venetian swell
  • wind swell

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.