dwell
Americanverb (used without object)
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dwells,
present (3rd person singular)
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dwelt,
past participle, past
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dwelled,
past participle, past
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dwelling
present participle
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to live or stay as a permanent resident; reside.
-
to live or continue in a given condition or state.
to dwell in happiness.
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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.
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(of a moving tool or machine part) to be motionless for a certain interval during operation.
noun
verb
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formal to live as a permanent resident
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to live (in a specified state)
to dwell in poverty
noun
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a regular pause in the operation of a machine
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a flat or constant-radius portion on a linear or rotary cam enabling the cam follower to remain static for a brief time
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dwellsimple
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dwellssimple
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have dwelledperfect
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have dweltperfect
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has dwelledperfect
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has dweltperfect
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am dwellingprogressive
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are dwellingprogressive
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is dwellingprogressive
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have been dwellingperfect progressive
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has been dwellingperfect progressive
Past
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dwelledsimple
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dweltsimple
-
had dwelledperfect
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had dweltperfect
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was dwellingprogressive
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were dwellingprogressive
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had been dwellingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
To dwell in a home is to live in it. To dwell on something — usually something bad, like a failed romance or terrible service in a restaurant — is to think or speak about it at great length. Dwell has been part of the English language for over 1,000 years. The definition of the word has evolved considerably since its first recorded use in the 9th century when Old English dwellan meant "lead astray" or "hinder." If you constantly dwell on the bad things in life, it could hinder you from seeing the good or lead you astray to the negative. If you keep complaining, your friends might tell you to stop dwelling on it or, if they're really annoyed, they'll say, "Get over it!"
Vocabulary lists containing dwell
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
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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.
See Examples For:
I’m sure she would want you to live your best life, and not dwell on the financial aspect of her death.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
Huang reserved his sharpest warning for governments that dwell on the technology's risks.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
“Turn it over? Move on. She doesn’t dwell on things. And I just think she really wants to be great.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
"I think that's the most important part. It's the decision to not dwell and the decision to look forward rather than in the past."
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
She didn’t have time to dwell on that.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Curiously, the book also dwells little on Monroe’s own literary ambitions.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2026
He never dwells on errors, he just kicks on.
From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2026
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 ● Jan. 25, 2026
Though he handles the science of memory deftly, in the few spots where he dwells on it, his view of memory is an expansionist one incorporating concepts of immortality as much as neural integrity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025
Deep down, where truth dwells, he wasn’t at all sure he’d be getting off the island soon.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
The episode, which is titled “Burying the Hatchet” and aired in full Sunday, was a relatively chummy public reunion that dwelled little on the origins of their rift.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
“The God who once dwelled among His people in this city still calls us in the words of Scripture,” the president said in a speech at Israel’s parliament in October.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 21, 2025
She acknowledged the outgoing incumbent — “first, let’s salute President Biden” — then dwelled at length on the history-making nature of Harris’ candidacy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2024
In an interview, Mr. Heffernan said he had not dwelled on trying to understand what was behind the attack.
From New York Times ● Jan. 19, 2024
In the evenings Kapugen sang and danced with the old men, and all of their songs and dances were about the sea and the land and the creatures that dwelled there.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
He visited many lands, but mostly dwelt with the nymph Calypso on her island.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
Indeed, commentators seem to have dwelt on little else.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
Tiddy Mun was a bog spirit who dwelt in the waterholes and came out in the evenings when the mists rose, dressed in grey, with white hair and a long tangled beard.
From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2024
Although the globe's top financiers dwelt little on the conflict, speaking about topics such as artificial intelligence, the economic fallout of war combined with record debts as rates rise created a bleak backdrop.
From Reuters ● Oct. 24, 2023
Outlanders, foreigners, and freedmen were not allowed inside the Black Wall save at the invitation of those who dwelt within, scions of the Old Blood who could trace their ancestry back to Valyria itself.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Galicia didn’t get the protection he needed, despite multiple contacts with police and city offices — by him, relatives and neighbors —regarding the empty dwelling next door to his on North St. Andrews Place.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
Although the alleged activity in the Los Angeles dwelling wasn’t enough to send Madison packing, she has recently opened up about her desire to relocate to lighten the load on her coparenting situation.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
Each newly created dwelling must have an EPC by law, making it the most timely indicator of new homes being built.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Ample windows and three distinct outdoor spaces connect the dwelling to the world around it—including views of the Silver Lake Reservoir and San Gabriel mountains—while its tucked-away location in the hills creates space for solitude.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
He would lie by the hour, eager, alert, at Thornton’s feet, looking up into his face, dwelling upon it, studying it, following with keenest interest each fleeting expression, every movement or change of feature.
From "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London
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.
