to swell

Examples

• All

• At moments like this, the anger could swell into a quiet fury that affected his judgment.

  Fiction book (1992)

• A powerful emotion, too new to identify, swelled inside him, bringing tears to his eyes.

  Fiction book (1994)

• And let me remind you, as your hearts swell with pride, these young people are now adults.

• The emotions building inside Vivian swell as the music reaches its tragic climax.

  Fiction book (1990)

• His rage and desire continued to swell, the crotch of his Levi's now unbearably tight.

  Fiction book (1990)

• As I stood there, my chest began to swell with a strange and new feeling.

• A powerful emotion, too new to identify, swelled inside him, bringing tears to his eyes.

• When I first got the call to be the class day speaker, I was touched and thrilled, and I swelled with pride.

Synonyms

S

to surge

vsto swell

57 4.1

To move suddenly and strongly forward or upward, like a wave

rises with emotion more slowly or as a steadier increase

W

to well

vsto swell

24 4.2

To rise up and flow out, as a liquid or feeling

is about becoming filled with strong emotion rather than flowing out slowly

W

to well up

vsto swell

23 5.2

To have strong feelings rise and make you want to cry

is about becoming filled inside with a strong emotion rather than just showing it

P

to puff up

vsto swell

4 4.9

To become proud and show it in your face or actions

focuses on internal rise of emotion rather than proud outward display

S

to swell up

vsto swell

3 3.2

Become larger and rounder because of pressure inside, injury, or a strong feeling

refers to rising with a strong emotion rather than physical enlargement

B

to bubble over

vsto swell

2 4.7

To be so full of strong feeling or excitement that you show it clearly

describes rising with emotion but not necessarily overflowing openly

B

to bubble over with excitement

vsto swell

3.5

Show so much excitement that you cannot hide it

is about rising with strong emotion in general not only overt excitement

Antonyms

C

to calm

962 1.0

Make a person or animal less upset

D

to deflate

18 3.1

To let air out of something so it becomes smaller or loses its shape

Phrasal Verbs

S

to swell up

28 3.9

Become larger and rounder because of liquid, injury, or illness

S

to swell up

3 3.2

Become larger and rounder because of pressure inside, injury, or a strong feeling

Compounds

G

ground swell

1 6.9

A long deep wave in the sea from storms far away or earthquakes

H

heavy swell

• Specialized

5.9

Large rolling waves that make the sea rise and fall

I

international sea and swell scale

• Specialized

6.7

A scale that shows how high sea waves and long smooth waves are

How Emotional

to explode

187 3.5

to overflow

30 4.1

to swell

29 4.2

to well up

23 5.2

to stir

131 3.7

Surface Forms

Etymology