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- Dictionaryswell/swel/
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
noun
- 1. a full or gently rounded shape or form: "the soft swell of her breast"
- 2. a gradual increase in sound, amount, or intensity: "there was a swell of support in favor of him" 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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: to behave or speak in a pompous, blustering, or self-important manner. c. : to play the swell.
Learn the meaning of swell as a verb, noun, adjective and adverb in English. See how to use swell in different contexts, such as describing waves, sound, injury, pride and 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.
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.
If the amount or size of something swells or if something swells it, it becomes larger than it was before. The human population swelled, at least temporarily, as migrants moved south. [ VERB ]
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.
1. To cause to increase in volume, size, number, degree, or intensity: The governor's full public disclosure only swelled the chorus of protests. 2. To fill with emotion. n. 1. a. The act or process of swelling. b. The condition of being swollen. 2. A swollen part; a bulge or protuberance.
