swollen (ˈswəʊlən
)
Definitions
verb
- a past participle of swell
adjective
- tumid or enlarged by or as if by swelling
- turgid or bombastic
Alternative Forms
ˈswollenly adverb ˈswollenness nounswell (swɛl)
Definitions
verb
Word forms: swells, swelling, swelled, swollen, swelled
- to grow or cause to grow in size, esp as a result of internal pressure Compare contract (sense 1) , contract (sense 3)
- to expand or cause to expand at a particular point or above the surrounding level; protrude
- to grow or cause to grow in size, amount, intensity, or degree ⇒
the party is swelling with new recruits
- to puff or be puffed up with pride or another emotion
- (intr) (of seas or lakes) to rise in waves
- (intr) to well up or overflow
- (tr) to make (a musical phrase) increase gradually in volume and then diminish
noun
- the undulating movement of the surface of the open sea
- a succession of waves or a single large wave
- a swelling or being swollen; expansion
- an increase in quantity or degree; inflation
- a bulge; protuberance
- a gentle hill
- informal a person very fashionably dressed
- informal a man of high social or political standing
- music a crescendo followed by an immediate diminuendo
swell organ music- 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
- the manual on an organ controlling this Compare choir (sense 4) , great (sense 21)
adjective
- informal stylish or grand
- slang excellent; first-class
Word Origin
Old English swellan; related to Old Norse svella, Old Frisian swella, German schwellenSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
expand,
increase,
grow,
rise,
extend,
balloon,
belly,
enlarge,
bulge,
protrude,
well up,
billow,
fatten,
dilate,
puff up,
round out,
be inflated become larger
distend,
bloat,
tumefy,
become bloated or distended
=
wonderful,
excellent,
superb,
marvellous,
topping,
sensational,
sovereign,
awesome,
first-rate,
brill,
out of this world
the dog's bollocks,
booshit,
exo,
sik,
rad,
phat,
schmick,
Translations
- British English:
swollen
If a part of your body is swollen, it is larger and rounder than normal, usually as a result of injury or illness.Her glands were swollen and painful.ˈswəʊlən ADJECTIVE Her glands were swollen and painful.
- Spanish:
inflamado
adj inflamada
- French:
enflé
adj
- German:
geschwollen
adj
- Chinese: 肿胀的 adj
- Arabic: مَنْفُوخ adj
- Portuguese: inchado adj inchada
- Russian: опухший adj опухшая
- Croatian: natečen adj natečena
- Czech: oteklý adj
- Danish: hævet adj
- Dutch: gezwollen adj
- Finnish: turvonnut adj
- Greek: πρησμένος adj πρησμένη
- Italian: gonfio adj gonfia
- Japanese: 腫れた no_posp
- Korean: 부푼 adj
- Norwegian: hoven adj
- Polish: spuchnięty adj spuchnięta
- Brazilian Portuguese: inchado adj inchada
- European Spanish:
inflamado
adj inflamada
- Swedish: svullen adj svullet
- Thai: บวม adj
- Turkish: şiş adj
- Vietnamese: bị sưng adj
Usage examples
Here, he placed a hand on a Bible, simply a hand, slightly swollen , slightly petrified.
, THE KINDEST USE A KNIFE (2002)Today, the bones of his ancestors are submerged under a swollen reservoir behind the world's biggest dam.
Globe and Mail (2003)Hardaker, from Bootle, admitted punching a newspaper delivery boy in the face leaving his nose bruised and swollen last May.
Liverpool Daily Post and Echo (2005)But later still, after the postmortem, they could see only her swollen face and cold hands.
, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)