swell
/swɛl/
noun
- A long, smooth wave or series of waves in the ocean.
- Surfers love the big swells that come after a storm.
- We could see a massive swell approaching from the horizon.
- The boat rose and fell gently on the ocean swell.
- A gradual increase in sound or volume.
- There was a sudden swell of applause after the speech.
- The swell of the choir filled the cathedral.
- The song ends with a dramatic swell of strings.
- A rounded, raised area on a surface.
- The ground had a gentle swell that made it perfect for sledding.
- He felt a hard swell under the skin where the insect had bitten him.
- There was a small swell on the wall where the paint had bubbled.
Synonyms
verb
- To become larger or rounder than usual, often because of pressure from inside.
- The river began to swell after three days of heavy rain.
- Her ankle swelled up after she twisted it playing soccer.
- The dough will swell as the yeast activates.
- To increase in amount, volume, or intensity.
- His pride swelled when he received the award.
- The music swelled as the orchestra reached the climax of the symphony.
- The crowd swelled to over ten thousand people by noon.
adjective
- Excellent; very good or enjoyable.
- We had a swell time at the beach yesterday.
- Everything is just swell now that the exams are over.
- That's a swell idea for the school project.
- Fashionable, stylish, or socially prominent.
- The hotel was full of swell people from the city.
- He wore a swell suit to the wedding.
- They live in a very swell neighborhood on the hill.
Synonyms