swollen

The word “swollen” means enlarged or puffed up beyond the normal size, usually from injury, illness, or fluid buildup. In plain terms, puffed up bigger than normal, usually because of injury or illness.

“Swollen” is pronounced SWOH-luhn (/ˈswoʊ.lən/ in IPA).

Here is “swollen” used in a sentence: “His ankle was too swollen to fit into his shoe.”

The opposite of “swollen” — its antonyms — are contracted, deflated, nonswollen, shrunken and shrivelled.

“Swollen” is an adjective.

The word “swollen” comes from Old English. The past participle of swell, from Old English geswollen.

“Swollen” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Swollen simply describes something enlarged or puffed up beyond its normal size, regardless of cause. Inflamed specifically implies swelling accompanied by redness, heat, or irritation as part of the body's immune response. A body part can be swollen without being inflamed, for example from fluid retention rather than infection.

Something becomes swollen due to injury, illness, or a buildup of fluid beneath the skin or in tissue. Common examples include a swollen ankle after a sprain or swollen glands during an infection.

No, swollen can describe non-body things that are puffed up or enlarged beyond normal, such as a swollen river after heavy rain. The core meaning of being abnormally enlarged applies broadly, though it is most frequently used for parts of the body.