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

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

On an Aug. 4 investor call, Musk said that capacity could swell to around 10 gigawatts by the end of 2027, or even reach 15 gigawatts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

The whole jumble of loose pack hissed and rustled as it rose to the swell.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Now, while the town's year-round residents number fewer than 1,000, that number swells up to 80,000 each September as revellers descend upon Lisdoonvarna from around the world.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 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

"There were some pretty significant surf and swells across area in the last several days," he said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

My voice is shaky as the anger in my belly swells.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

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

During the 1980s, the Japanese economy swelled, drawing legions of new visitors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 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

Those district court battles have grown increasingly heated as caseloads have swelled.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

I shivered, remembering the first time I had traded with the miller, how my tongue had swelled in my mouth and I mechanically accepted his bargain.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

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

A local official said it was swollen and could not be immediately identified.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Another had a swollen knee and was struggling to walk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

The skin under my jaw felt swollen and tender.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

That reaction produced the familiar signs of inflammation, including pain, redness, heat, and swelling, similar to what can happen after an injury or infection.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026

Mulberry also pointed to Dell’s own recent earnings report, which showed its AI server business reaching $60.9 billion in orders and the company’s backlog swelling to $95 billion.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

UBS sees market deficits swelling into the 2030s and beyond.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

Ohtani hasn’t pitched since July 3 against the San Diego Padres, managing swelling and discomfort in his left knee.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

She had to start feeling around the rest of his arm, to see if it was swelling up.

From "Fourth Grade Rats" by Jerry Spinelli

Related Words

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