swell meaning

UK /swɛl/ US /swɛl/ 1 syllable

swell (verb): increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity.

swell has 11 meanings in this dictionary, as verb, noun and adjective.

swell as a verb

  1. increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity
    • The music swelled to a crescendo

    Type of: increase

  2. become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger
    • The mother was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son

    Synonyms: puff up

    Type of: act

  3. expand abnormally
    • The bellies of the starving children are swelling

    Synonyms: swell up, intumesce, tumefy, tumesce

    Type of: expand

    Kinds: distend, belly, puff, bloat, blister

    Related forms: swelling

  4. come up (as of feelings and thoughts, or other ephemeral things)
    • Strong emotions welled up
    • Smoke swelled from it

    Synonyms: well up

    Type of: originate

  5. come up, as of a liquid
    • Tears well in her eyes
    • the currents well up

    Synonyms: well

    Type of: surface

  6. cause to become swollen
    • The water swells the wood

    Type of: grow

    Kinds: bulge, tumefy, bloat

swell as a noun

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

    Synonyms: crestless wave

    Type of: wave

    Kinds: ground swell

  2. a rounded elevation (especially one on an ocean floor)

    Type of: natural elevation

  3. a crescendo followed by a decrescendo

    Type of: crescendo

  4. a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance

    Synonyms: dandy, dude, fop, gallant, sheik, beau, fashion plate, clotheshorse

    Type of: man

    Kinds: coxcomb, macaroni, Brummell

swell as an adjective

  1. very good
    • he did a bully job
    • a neat sports car
    • had a great time at the party
    • you look simply smashing
    • we had a grand old time

    Synonyms: bang-up, bully, corking, cracking, dandy, great, groovy, keen, neat, nifty, not bad, peachy, slap-up, smashing, old

    Similar: good

How to pronounce swell

swell is pronounced /swɛl/ in British English and /swɛl/ in American English. It has 1 syllable.

Words that rhyme with swell

Word lists: words starting with SW · words ending in LL · 5-letter words

More about swell on Wikipedia.