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.

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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

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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

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

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!"

Example Sentences

But during the greatest turnaround that Silicon Valley has ever seen, Jobs was fanatical about one idea: Apple was a place to invent the future, not dwell on the past.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

In people, this variant influences whether someone tends to dwell on embarrassing experiences or achieve high educational success.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2026

“It comes down to dwell time,” Chase said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

There are so many implications of the Gorton and Denton by-election that are essential to understand, but it's best first to dwell on the winner: the Greens.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

But I didn’t dwell too much on that because I knew I needed to keep up my confidence, think about the future, meaning the competition coming up.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Related Words

• bide
• exist
• hole up
• inhabit
• reside
• squat