quell
Americanverb (used with object)
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quells,
present (3rd person singular)
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quelled,
past participle, past
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quelling
present participle
verb
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to suppress or beat down (rebellion, disorder, etc); subdue
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to overcome or allay
to quell pain
to quell grief
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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quellsimple
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quellssimple
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have quelledperfect
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has quelledperfect
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am quellingprogressive
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are quellingprogressive
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is quellingprogressive
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have been quellingperfect progressive
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has been quellingperfect progressive
Past
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quelledsimple
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had quelledperfect
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was quellingprogressive
-
were quellingprogressive
-
had been quellingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
But Kelly’s track record and box-office power couldn’t quell MGM’s concerns about the commercial viability of his passion project.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Higher oil prices would boost inflation, and with it investors’ expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates to try and quell price pressures.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
The security adjustments aren’t expected to quell Mexico’s World Cup fever.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
No protest roadblocks remained standing in Bolivia on Tuesday, the government said, as it deployed the army to quell weeks-long demonstrations that had throttled roads nationwide.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
Or quell the loneliness he felt being moved from one relative to the next?
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
This interchange is how the brain quells, for instance, the knee-jerk use of rude language with the understanding that such responses can cause offense.
From Scientific American ● May 26, 2023
Jane and Tom tentatively circle each other; he quells her fear of flying, they bond over Keats’ sonnets and Isaac Hayes’ theme from the 1971 movie “Shaft.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2023
There is a history of federal courts finding that jurors’ names are public record, and reasoning that such openness quells potential public suspicions about the selection process.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 23, 2023
Strict conformity quells confusion and keeps everyone focused on the work.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 19, 2023
It is a happy thing that time quells the longings of vengeance and hushes the promptings of rage and aversion.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
The company’s stock surged 16% after its earnings quelled concerns that investments on data centers, chips and more would outpace the company’s ability to generate cash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
However a well-worked try from Jess Breach, the sin-binning of France's replacement scrum-half Alexandra Chambon and a strong performance by England's replacements quelled the danger.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
The filing also alleges that video shows Seitz crossed the street after the altercation had initially been quelled, and ran to confront Hernandez and Austin a second time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
They were very clear on what their expectation was and what they wanted to accomplish, so that has quelled some of the nervousness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
Discipline prevailed: in five minutes the confused throng was resolved into order, and comparative silence quelled the Babel clamour of tongues.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
The meeting bought Infantino some peace by quelling the revolt inside his own offices, but his long-term fate still resides with the 211 member associations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Sheinbaum has been quelling nerves in Mexico since Trump’s election in late 2024, just weeks after she assumed the presidency.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2026
Central Asian countries can lower unemployment and poverty rates, quelling potential unrest among their swelling young populations.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2025
Vaccines have been effective in China and Vietnam and Egypt for quelling outbreaks.
From Salon ● Apr. 30, 2025
‘I’m about to tell you,’ she’d said with a quelling look.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
