quell
Americanverb
-
to suppress or beat down (rebellion, disorder, etc); subdue
-
to overcome or allay
to quell pain
to quell grief
Other Word Forms
- quellable adjective
- queller noun
- unquellable adjective
- unquelled adjective
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”; kill 1
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.
President Donald Trump’s address Wednesday night failed to quell investors’ fears, sending oil prices higher in response.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
In that time, fears about the Federal Reserve needing to raise interest rates to quell inflation have given way to concerns about the economic damage of the historic oil-price surge.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
But while this statement is designed to quell the noise around Borthwick's position, the questions about the short-, medium- and long-term direction of travel still remain.
From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026
In time, and in attempts to quell neighborhood concerns, the globe’s design would shift to become a large, futuristic needle.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026
The prison sentences that often attended their activism did nothing to quell their ardor.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
