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- Dictionaryswell/swɛl/
verb
- 1. (especially of a part of the body) become larger or rounder in size, typically as a result of an accumulation of fluid: "her bruised knee was already swelling up" Similar Opposite
- 2. become or make greater in intensity, number, amount, or volume: "the low murmur swelled to a roar" Similar Opposite
noun
- 1. a full or gently rounded shape or form: "the soft swell of her breast"
- 2. a gradual increase in amount, intensity, or volume: "a huge swell in the popularity of one-day cricket" Similar Opposite
adjective
- 1. excellent; very good: informal, dated North American "you're looking swell"
adverb
- 1. excellently; very well: informal, dated North American "everything was just going swell"
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The meaning of SWELL is to expand (as in size, volume, or numbers) gradually beyond a normal or original limit. How to use swell in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Swell.
SWELL definition: 1. to become larger and rounder than usual; to (cause to) increase in size or amount: 2. If music…. Learn more.
to grow in bulk, as by the absorption of moisture or the processes of growth. Synonyms: expand, distend. Antonyms: contract. Pathology. to increase abnormally in size, as by inflation, distention, accumulation of fluids, or the like: Her ankles swelled from standing.
You can use the word swell to describe what happens to an injured body part, like a black eye that swells up, or in a figurative way, to describe a feeling of fullness, like when your heart swells with pride at your sister's big music performance.
swell - come up (as of feelings and thoughts, or other ephemeral things); "Strong emotions welled up"; "Smoke swelled from it"
to become larger and rounder than usual; to (cause to) increase in size or amount: It was obvious she had broken her toe, because it immediately started to swell (up). The group recruited more members, swelling its ranks (= increasing its size) to more than 1.3 million.
swell in American English. (swel) (verb swelled, swollen or swelled, swelling) intransitive verb. 1. to grow in bulk, as by the absorption of moisture or the processes of growth. 2. Pathology. to increase abnormally in size, as by inflation, distention, accumulation of fluids, or the like.
Definition of swell verb in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
1. If the amount or size of something swells or if something swells it, it becomes larger than it was before. [...] 2. If something such as a part of your body swells, it becomes larger and rounder than normal. [...] 3. A swell is the regular movement of waves up and down in the open sea. [...]
There are five meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective swell. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. This word is used in U.S. English.
