swell

American  

[swel] / swɛl /

verb (used without object)

• swells,
  present (3rd person singular)
• swelled,
  past participle,  past
• swollen,
  past participle
• swelling
  present participle

1. to grow in bulk, as by the absorption of moisture or the processes of growth.

   Synonyms:

   expand, distend

   Antonyms:

   contract

2. Pathology. to increase abnormally in size, as by inflation, distention, accumulation of fluids, or the like.

   Her ankles swelled from standing.

3. to rise in waves, as the sea.

4. to well up, as a spring or as tears.

5. to bulge out, as a sail or the middle of a cask.

   Synonyms:

   protrude

6. to grow in amount, degree, force, etc.

7. to increase gradually in volume or intensity, as sound.

   The music swelled.

8. to arise and grow within one, as a feeling or emotion.

9. to become puffed up with pride.

---

verb (used with object)

• swells,
  present (3rd person singular)
• swelled,
  past participle,  past
• swollen,
  past participle
• swelling
  present participle

1. to cause to grow in bulk.

   Synonyms:

   expand, inflate

2. to cause to increase gradually in loudness.

   to swell a musical tone.

3. to cause (a thing) to bulge out or be protuberant.

4. to increase in amount, degree, force, etc.

   Antonyms:

   diminish, decrease

5. to affect with a strong, expansive emotion.

6. to puff up with pride.

noun

• swells
  plural

1. the act of swelling or the condition of being swollen.

2. inflation or distention.

   Synonyms:

   swelling

3. a protuberant part.

   Synonyms:

   bulge

4. a wave, especially when long and unbroken, or a series of such waves.

   Synonyms:

   billow

5. a gradually rising elevation of the land.

6. an increase in amount, degree, force, etc.

7. a gradual increase in loudness of sound.

8. Music.

   1. a gradual increase (crescendo) followed by a gradual decrease (diminuendo) in loudness or force of musical sound.

   2. the sign (< >) for indicating this.

   3. a device, as in an organ, by which the loudness of tones may be varied.

9. a swelling of emotion within one.

10. Slang.

    1. a fashionably dressed person; dandy.

    2. a socially prominent person.

adjective

Informal.

1. (of things) stylish; elegant.

   a swell hotel.

2. (of persons) fashionably dressed or socially prominent.

   Synonyms:

   grand

3. first-rate; fine.

   a swell party.

   Synonyms:

   grand

swell British  

/ swɛl /

verb

1. to grow or cause to grow in size, esp as a result of internal pressure Compare contract contract

2. to expand or cause to expand at a particular point or above the surrounding level; protrude

3. to grow or cause to grow in size, amount, intensity, or degree

   the party is swelling with new recruits

4. to puff or be puffed up with pride or another emotion

5. (intr) (of seas or lakes) to rise in waves

6. (intr) to well up or overflow

7. (tr) to make (a musical phrase) increase gradually in volume and then diminish

---

noun

1. 1. the undulating movement of the surface of the open sea

   2. a succession of waves or a single large wave

2. a swelling or being swollen; expansion

3. an increase in quantity or degree; inflation

4. a bulge; protuberance

5. a gentle hill

6. informal a person very fashionably dressed

7. informal a man of high social or political standing

8. music a crescendo followed by an immediate diminuendo

9. Also called: swell organ. music

   1. a set of pipes on an organ housed in a box ( swell box ) fitted with a shutter operated by a pedal, which can be opened or closed to control the volume

   2. the manual on an organ controlling this Compare choir great

adjective

1. informal stylish or grand

2. slang excellent; first-class

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• underswell
  noun
• reswell
  verb
• underswell
  verb (used without object)
• unswelled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• swells
  plural

Participles

• swelling
  present
• swelled
  past
• swollen
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• swell
  simple
• swells
  simple
• have swelled
  perfect
• have swollen
  perfect
• has swelled
  perfect
• has swollen
  perfect
• am swelling
  progressive
• are swelling
  progressive
• is swelling
  progressive
• have been swelling
  perfect progressive
• has been swelling
  perfect progressive

Past

• swelled
  simple
• had swelled
  perfect
• had swollen
  perfect
• was swelling
  progressive
• were swelling
  progressive
• had been swelling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will swell
  simple
• will have swelled
  perfect
• will have swollen
  perfect
• will be swelling
  progressive
• will have been swelling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of swell

First recorded before 900; Middle English swellen (verb), Old English swellan; cognate with Dutch zwellen, German schwellen, Old Norse svella; akin to Gothic ufswalleins “pride”

Explanation

To swell is to expand or grow larger. If your brother's face started to swell after he ate lobster for the first time, you'd probably guess that he's allergic to shellfish. You can use the word swell to describe what happens to an injured body part, like a black eye that swells up, or in a figurative way, to describe a feeling of fullness, like when your heart swells with pride at your sister's big music performance. In the 1930s, swell became a popular slang term meaning "great" or "excellent." But it also can describe a wealthy, elegant person, like a group of swells at a fancy restaurant.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

swell swells swelled swollen swelling

And “after almost an entire summer of southern swell after southern swell, there could be some issues for those vulnerable coastlines,” according to Lewis.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

All of these attendees were following the example set by those at the top: looking out for themselves and trying to swell their own stash.

From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026

The material is then treated with a mild solvent, which interacts with those fragments and causes the polymer to swell.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

"The attacks were varied, so the insides of my stomach can swell up, I've had my lips, my hands, my feet."

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

That was one of the swell things you could count on.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

Residents have also been warned of large ocean swells and life-threatening surf conditions for the next few days.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

The pair plans to come back to California for the winter: El Niño is expected to produce intense snowfall they’d like to ski, and ocean swells they’d like to surf.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

As backlash swells against artificial-intelligence companies, the CEO of OpenAI says he won’t be testing the public markets this year.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 12, 2026

Over the weekend, south-facing beaches in the cities of Long Beach and Malibu were hit hard by a combination of high swells, higher-than-high tides and tropical-storm-charged waves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

In a moment they had lost their choppiness arid had lengthened into long swells that came slow and syrupy.

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt

Construction costs have swelled to around $2.4 billion, up from an estimate of $1.3 billion in 2020, according to the report.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Imports swelled 28.2 percent, which was faster than July's 27.5 percent but less than the 31.0 percent estimated in the Bloomberg survey.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

Two days later, the Dikhow and Mitong spilled into surrounding areas as the Brahmaputra and its tributaries swelled rapidly.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

According to the records, the downtown Los Angeles district’s homeless population swelled last year by more than 800 people, an increase of 24%.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Miss Bates said a great deal; Mrs. Elton swelled at the idea of Miss Woodhouse’s presiding; Mr. Knightley’s answer was the most distinct.

From "Emma" by Jane Austen

Increasing the sugar concentration in the solution surrounding the axons made the swollen regions smaller.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

Vela Gonzalez complained for weeks of stomach pain and his legs were only getting more swollen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Head Start’s regulations have swollen to 120-plus pages, controlling everything from the square footage of outdoor play space to transportation routing and myriad paper credentials for staff.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

She told a local coordinator she believed the 37th image -- showing the pale, swollen face of a man lying on a pebbled riverbed -- was her childhood best friend.

From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026

The air was fragranced by the late autumn scent of cornfields full of veggies ready for harvest, rivers swollen with sweet water, and gentle cedar from the nearby trees.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

The rain has fallen almost continually since Thursday afternoon, flooding roads and swelling Bangkok's canals, sending water into many homes and restaurants alongside them, AFP reporters saw.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

The fear is dialled up an extra notch by Byron Bullock's rich sound design, with the music swelling almost unbearably intensely when spluttering nasties stumbled closer.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

The hiker crawled through the night, down the remainder of Avalanche Gulch to Horse Camp Cabin, at one point removing his boots due to painful swelling, the agency said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

The treatment did not, however, significantly change outward signs such as redness or swelling.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026

The rainy season would arrive any day swelling the river and washing out the roads.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

Related Words

• accumulate
• add to
• balloon
• bloat
• bulge
• enlarge
• expand
• fatten
• grow
• increase
• mount
• rise
• surge