kvell
Americanverb (used without object)
verb
Etymology
Origin of kvell
An Americanism first recorded in 1965–70; from Yiddish kveln “be delighted”; compare Middle High German, German quellen “well up, gush”
Explanation
To kvell is to burst with pride, especially on behalf of someone else. If you win the school spelling bee, your parents will kvell, telling all their friends about your success. Kvell is just one of hundreds of Yiddish words that are commonly used in English. It derives from a Germanic root meaning "swell or well up." If you've ever had a grandma, favorite teacher, or best friend be so incredibly proud of you that they seem to overflow with delight, you know what it means to kvell.
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.
It makes us kvell when something profoundly and fundamentally Jewish gets embraced by the world at large.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 23, 2021
These characters don’t kvetch or kvell, at least not in those terms.
From New York Times ● Feb. 22, 2017
It’s heartening, therefore, to hear Youner kvell about her new friend, Shirley Zweibel, 87.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 8, 2017
It wasn’t the most exciting performance, but it did make Karen cry and the coaches kvell.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2016
It turned out to be the perfect place to marvel and kvell and lament and celebrate my life since I left Chicago, not quite 30 momentous years ago.
From Salon ● Apr. 15, 2013
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
