quell
Americanverb
-
to suppress or beat down (rebellion, disorder, etc); subdue
-
to overcome or allay
to quell pain
to quell grief
Other Word Forms
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”; cf. kill 1
Explanation
Meaning to suppress or overcome, quell is what you have to do with nerves before a big test and fears before going skydiving. When it first came into existence, the verb quell actually meant “to murder.” That's a bit more serious than our modern definition, but you can use that old definition to help you imagine offing your worries or putting a permanent end to criticism. These days quell is often used to mean "pacify," as in the police quelling an angry mob or a mom quelling a kid's temper tantrum.
Vocabulary lists containing quell
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 2
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 7–11
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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.
This effort to include everyone did not quell protests.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
A fine will not be enough to quell their anger.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Stocks and bonds logged historic losses in 2022 after the Fed started quickly raising rates in a race to quell inflation.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez on Thursday hiked the minimum wage package by 26.3 percent, to $240, in an attempt to quell growing discontent over difficult living conditions.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
Teller’s departure from Los Alamos failed to quell interest in a second laboratory.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
