Library / English Dictionary

SWELL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: swollen   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A crescendo followed by a decrescendo

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("swell" is a kind of...):

crescendo ((music) a gradual increase in loudness)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The undulating movement of the surface of the open sea

Synonyms:

crestless wave; swell

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("swell" is a kind of...):

moving ridge; wave (one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "swell"):

ground swell; heavy swell (a broad and deep undulation of the ocean)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A rounded elevation (especially one on an ocean floor)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Hypernyms ("swell" is a kind of...):

elevation; natural elevation (a raised or elevated geological formation)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance

Synonyms:

beau; clotheshorse; dandy; dude; fashion plate; fop; gallant; sheik; swell

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("swell" is a kind of...):

adult male; man (an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "swell"):

cockscomb; coxcomb (a conceited dandy who is overly impressed by his own accomplishments)

macaroni (a British dandy in the 18th century who affected Continental mannerisms)

Instance hyponyms:

Beau Brummell; Brummell; George Bryan Brummell (English dandy who was a fashion leader during the Regency (1778-1840))

 II. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Very good

Example:

we had a grand old time

Synonyms:

bang-up; bully; corking; cracking; dandy; great; groovy; keen; neat; nifty; not bad; old; peachy; slap-up; smashing; swell

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

good (having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified)

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

 III. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Expand abnormally

Example:

The bellies of the starving children are swelling

Synonyms:

intumesce; swell; swell up; tumefy; tumesce

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "swell" is one way to...):

expand (become larger in size or volume or quantity)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "swell"):

distend (swell from or as if from internal pressure)

belly; belly out (swell out or bulge out)

blow up; puff; puff out; puff up (to swell or cause to enlarge)

bloat (become bloated or swollen or puff up)

blister; vesicate (get blistered)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence example:

Did his feet swell?

Derivation:

swelling (an abnormal protuberance or localized enlargement)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause to become swollen

Example:

The water swells the wood

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "swell" is one way to...):

grow (cause to grow or develop)

Cause:

intumesce; swell; swell up; tumefy; tumesce (expand abnormally)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "swell"):

bulge; bulk (cause to bulge or swell outwards)

tumefy (cause to become very swollen)

bloat (make bloated or swollen)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity

Example:

The music swelled to a crescendo

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "swell" is one way to...):

increase (become bigger or greater in amount)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Sense 4

Meaning:

Come up, as of a liquid

Example:

the currents well up

Synonyms:

swell; well

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "swell" is one way to...):

come up; rise; rise up; surface (come to the surface)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Sense 5

Meaning:

Become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger

Example:

The mother was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son

Synonyms:

puff up; swell

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "swell" is one way to...):

act; behave; do (behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 6

Meaning:

Come up (as of feelings and thoughts, or other ephemeral things)

Example:

Smoke swelled from it

Synonyms:

swell; well up

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "swell" is one way to...):

arise; develop; grow; originate; rise; spring up; uprise (come into existence; take on form or shape)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Credits

 Context examples: 

The body releases chemicals that cause blood vessels to leak and tissues to swell in order to isolate a foreign substance from further contact with the body’s tissues.

(Researchers discover otulipenia, a new inflammatory disease, NIH)

A condition characterized by a dry, waxy type of swelling with abnormal deposits of mucin in the skin and other tissues.

(Myxedema, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

The swelling can be on one or both sides of the face.

(Mumps, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Swelling due to an accumulation of excessive fluid in the neck.

(Neck Edema, NCI Thesaurus)

A disorder characterized by swelling due to an accumulation of excessive fluid in the neck.

(Neck Edema, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

Malignant tumors are usually associated with rapid swelling and pain.

(Odontogenic Neoplasm, NCI Thesaurus)

A nerve problem that causes pain, numbness, tingling, swelling, or muscle weakness in different parts of the body.

(Neuropathy, NCI Dictionary)

Even the deep, burning eyes seemed set amongst swollen flesh, for the lids and pouches underneath were bloated.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

A disorder characterized by swelling of the abdomen.

(Abdominal Distention, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

Patients may also present with swollen neck lymph nodes without any symptoms from the oropharyngeal tumor.

(Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)