quell
Americanverb
-
to suppress or beat down (rebellion, disorder, etc); subdue
-
to overcome or allay
to quell pain
to quell grief
Other Word Forms
- quellable adjective
- queller noun
- unquellable adjective
- unquelled adjective
Etymology
Origin of quell
First recorded before 900; Middle English quellen, Old English cwellan “to kill”; akin to Old Norse kvelja “to torment,” German quälen “to vex”; kill 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In that time, fears about the Federal Reserve needing to raise interest rates to quell inflation have given way to concerns about the economic damage of the historic oil-price surge.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
Announcements this past week that the U.S. would ease sanctions on Russia and contribute to the largest-ever emergency oil release—some 400 million barrels—have done little to quell prices.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026
But while this statement is designed to quell the noise around Borthwick's position, the questions about the short-, medium- and long-term direction of travel still remain.
From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026
CNN Worldwide Chief Executive Mark Thompson tried to quell some of those fears, particularly inside his own newsroom.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026
It waits around for their return, trying to quell the panic rising in it.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
