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Synonyms

dwell

American  
[dwel] / dwɛl /

verb (used without object)

dwelt, dwelled, dwelling

  1. to live or stay as a permanent resident; reside.

  2. to live or continue in a given condition or state.

    to dwell in happiness.

  3. to linger over, emphasize, or ponder in thought, speech, or writing (often followed by on orupon ).

    to dwell on a particular point in an argument.

  4. (of a moving tool or machine part) to be motionless for a certain interval during operation.

noun

  1. Machinery.

    1. a flat or cylindrical area on a cam for maintaining a follower in a certain position during part of a cycle.

    2. a period in a cycle in the operation of a machine or engine during which a given part remains motionless.

dwell British  
/ dwɛl /

verb

  1. formal to live as a permanent resident

  2. to live (in a specified state)

    to dwell in poverty
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a regular pause in the operation of a machine

  2. a flat or constant-radius portion on a linear or rotary cam enabling the cam follower to remain static for a brief time

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • dweller noun
  • outdwell verb (used with object)
  • predwell verb (used without object)

Etymology

Origin of dwell

First recorded before 900; Middle English dwellen “to lead astray; stun; abide,” Old English dwellan “to lead or go astray; hinder”; cognate with Old Norse dvelja

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.

Epstein allegedly replies: "lets not dwell on him, i am only interested in how this plays out for you."

From BBC

In intensive care, the pain was "excruciating", and although he knew he was "totally blind" he tried not to "dwell on it".

From BBC

But during the tour, she was too distracted by the progress on the crossing to dwell on the stress.

From Los Angeles Times

A 1772 meditation about the crucifixion by a man who struggled with depression all his life, the hymn dwells on Christ’s gory death and evokes the metaphor of sinners bathing in blood.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I wish you wouldn’t dwell on these things.”

From Literature

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.