quell
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to suppress or beat down (rebellion, disorder, etc); subdue
-
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
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were quellingprogressive
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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:
At the same time, with global interest rates potentially set to move higher to quell inflation, “investors should be in no rush to buy silver-related assets,” said Cawley.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
While the country is almost paralyzed, the police still have the capacity to quell sporadic protests that have sprung up in recent months and make arrests, said Clemente Morgado, a Havana resident.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
But so far these measures have failed to quell the unrest.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
Knowing someone — or of someone — who is gay or lesbian has long tended to dispel falsehoods and quell fears that might exist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
At the table, Minya and Feral were faced off across the quell board, deep in a game.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Just wearing the wrong clothes or standing on the wrong block could lead to problems with the police, according to Padilla, whose group quells gang violence through diplomacy and social work.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 2024
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
“There’s no such thing as a dumb question if it’s something that quells your anxiety, brings clarity, or helps you make an informed decision,” Tryk says.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 24, 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
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
U.S. stocks rose as fears of a return to full-blown war in Iran subsided, which brought down oil prices and quelled inflation expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 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
Her worries were quelled on Thursday when she returned to work for the first time in weeks, following the government's reopening, but she is already preparing for the prospect of another one come January.
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2025
Chelsea quelled criticism of Enzo Maresca's rotation policy with a 3-0 win against Wolves featuring the first goal of Malo Gusto's career on Saturday.
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2025
Panic flared through my mind one more time, but I quelled it with the thought of what I was going to earn.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
The shift away from equating AI agents with human workers has less to do with quelling human anxiety over layoffs and job replacement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
Central Asian countries can lower unemployment and poverty rates, quelling potential unrest among their swelling young populations.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2025
At the same time, Los Angeles Police Department officials report increasing success in quelling violence and property damage in the city’s core, thanks in part to an 8 p.m. curfew imposed this week.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2025
Vaccines have been effective in China and Vietnam and Egypt for quelling outbreaks.
From Salon ● Apr. 30, 2025
Well, I thought, if I have not asked, it is because I have not dared; there is a look about you that is quelling, and your manner forbids such talk.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
