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.

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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

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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

Crowds swell, speeches begin and slogans echo across the stadium.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

County coasts from Wednesday evening through Friday due to the swell.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

The standard deviations swell to 17% for sales and marketing costs, 25% for general and administrative expenses, and 36% for depreciation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

By 2034, the robo-adviser industry’s market size is expected to swell more than sevenfold, to $102 billion.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

More water pulled away from the train cars, sucking up into the steep slope of the swell, and Natalie suddenly had her answer.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Now a Category 4 hurricane and moving northwest with sustained winds of about 155 mph, Genevieve is expected to generate up to 11-foot swells by Wednesday afternoon along beaches that face south and southwest.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

Condos are becoming cheaper as inventory swells — but experts warn that the list price doesn’t paint the full picture.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

While his detractors focus on what Musk has failed to deliver, support swells from the superlatives he has achieved.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

Wellington Mayor Andrew Little declared a state of emergency on the eve of the swells for seaside residents in Owhiro Bay, Island Bay, Houghton Bay and Breaker Bay.

From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026

But all this time, just as a drop of water slowly swells until it is heavy enough to fall from a twig, the idea of what they meant to do was becoming clear and unanimous.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

As passengers chanted the incantation together, white light flashed through the carriage, and music swelled from the speakers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Before, work in some parts of the company went through as many as 14 layers, and Xbox’s platform teams have swelled even as its player base has declined, its CEO said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

While the level of margin debt has swelled to around $1.4 trillion, it’s the rate of growth that is more relevant here.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

The wealth share of the top 1% hit a record high in mid-2021, and American billionaires’ fortunes swelled by roughly 70%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

Looking at Rani, I can see that her anger that swelled up as fast as an ocean wave disappeared just as quickly.

From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman

More than 300 relief camps have been set up in the state, sheltering over 10,000 people, after rains triggered landslides and swollen rivers breached their banks.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

"The first week was horrendous - everything was swollen, everything was sore. I was sure I was going to pull 15 million muscles," Woods said.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

Early on, Poopies gets swollen lip injections that, someone claims, will last the whole movie.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

Over Christmas, he landed in the emergency room after waking up with a swollen face and tongue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

“Your lip is swollen and split. Are you okay?”

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

Growth since April’s weakness has been concentrated in the private sector, swelling by roughly 146,000 in three months.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

The yen has been weakening because of the gap between Japanese and US interest rates, high oil prices and concerns about Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's spending plans further swelling Japan's enormous debts.

From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026

Prices for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel are rising even as crude oil costs ease, a rare divergence that’s swelling costs for peak-season travelers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

But the dry conditions caused by the hot weather have prevented the grain from swelling.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

His eye was only slightly bruised and the swelling had gone down.

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

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