noun
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the act of expansion or inflation
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the state of being or becoming swollen
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a swollen or inflated part or area
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an abnormal enlargement of a bodily structure or part, esp as the result of injury
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of swelling
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; swell + -ing 1
Vocabulary lists containing swelling
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.
Unlike gum disease, which commonly causes pain, swelling, or bleeding, infections at the root tip can exist silently while inflammation gradually spreads through the body.
From Science Daily • May 16, 2026
On a Tokyo street corner, in the pouring rain, a swelling crowd gathered with drenched placards and sodden flags.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
One key measure is the cost of financing this swelling debt burden.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
Manufacturers say they expect that share to continue swelling, potentially reaching a majority of sales in just a few years.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
Ancient records reveal that in wartime the number of soldiers was doubled, swelling the number of men aboard to some seven hundred.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
