verb

swell

swehl

verb

To grow bigger, especially by filling with fluid or gas.

"Her ankle began to swell after the fall."

"The dough will swell as the yeast works."

To grow gradually in force, loudness, or intensity.

"The music swelled as the orchestra reached the finale."

"A murmur of excitement swelled through the crowd."

noun

A long, rolling ocean wave that continues after the wind that made it has died down.

"The boat rose and fell on the gentle swell."

adj

Excellent; very good (informal, dated-sounding).

""That's a swell idea," he said with a grin."

How to Use Swell

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo get bigger, louder, or more intense — used for body parts, sounds, feelings, or the sea; also an old-fashioned word for "great."

Common pairings

swell up a swell of pride the swell of the sea

sweller comparative, swelled past tense, swole past tense, swoll past tense, swollen past tense, swells plural, swells singular, swellest superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

Her ankle began to _____ after the fall.

From Old English swellan, "to swell" — an ancient Germanic word with cousins in Dutch, German, and Swedish all meaning the same thing.

ell hell fell bell cell sell tell well dell yell pell kell