Swell — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun adjective /ˈswel/

Meaning & Definition of Swell

Swell (verb)

  1. to expand (as in size, volume, or numbers) gradually beyond a normal or original limit
  2. to become distended or puffed up
  3. to form a bulge or rounded elevation

Swell (noun)

  1. a long often massive and crestless wave or succession of waves often continuing beyond or after its cause (such as a gale)
  2. the condition of being protuberant
  3. a rounded elevation

Swell (adjective)

  1. stylish
  2. socially prominent
  3. excellent —used as a generalized term of enthusiasm

Swell (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. of the very best kind

    "what a swell time we had at the country club dance"

    similar: A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo, bonny (chiefly British), boss (slang), brag, brave, bully, bumper, capital, choice, classic, cool (slang), corking, crackerjack, cracking, dandy, divine, dope (slang), down (slang), dynamite, excellent, fab, fabulous, famous, fantabulous (slang), fantastic, fine, first-class, first-rate, first-string, five-star, four-star, frontline, gangbusters, gilt-edged, gone (slang), grand, great, groovy, heavenly, high-class, hot, hype (slang), immense, jim-dandy, keen, lovely, marvelous, mean, neat, nifty, noble, number one, numero uno, out-of-sight (slang), par excellence, peachy, peachy keen, phat (slang), prime, primo (slang), prize, prizewinning, quality, radical (slang), righteous (slang), sensational, slick, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, supernal, terrific, tip-top, top, top-notch, top-of-the-line, top-shelf, topflight, topping (chiefly British), unsurpassed, wizard (chiefly British), wonderful, out of this world, too much
    related: acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, good, OK, passable, satisfactory, tolerable, better, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, high-test, premium, select, special, superfine, classical, standard, traditional
    opposite: atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten, terrible, vile, wretched
    near: bad, inferior, low-grade, substandard, unsatisfactory, mediocre, middling, second-class, second-rate

  2. being in the latest or current fashion

    "in its heyday as a summer resort, the town was known for its swanky hotels and swell restaurants"

    similar: à la mode, au courant, chic, cool (slang), exclusive, fashionable, fresh (slang), happening, hip, in, modish, sharp, smart, snappy, stylish, supercool, swish, trendy, voguish
    related: downtown, edgy, funky, dapper, dashing, dressy, kicky, natty, rakish, sassy, saucy, spiffy, spruce, chichi, classy, flossy, haute, nobby, posh, ritzy, soigné, swank, elegant, graceful, handsome, majestic, refined, sophisticated, stately, tasteful, understated, doggish, doggy, flashy, gallant, dandyish, dudish, foppish, ultrachic, ultracool, ultrahip, ultraposh, ultrasmart, ultrasophisticated
    opposite: dowdy, out, outmoded, styleless, unchic, uncool, unfashionable, unmodish, unstylish
    near: cheesy, tacky, unattractive, unbecoming, graceless, inelegant, tasteless, trashy, unhandsome, frowsy, sloppy, slovenly, unkempt, untidy, disheveled, messy, mussy, rumpled, wrinkled, shabby, sleazy

Swell (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number

    "the club membership has really swelled in recent months"

    similar: accelerate, accumulate, appreciate, balloon, boom, build up, burgeon, climb, enlarge, escalate, expand, gain, increase, mount, multiply, mushroom, proliferate, rise, roll up, snowball, spread, wax
    related: jump, rocket, skyrocket, surge, heighten, intensify, redouble, blow up, bulk, distend, inflate, puff (up), crescendo, crest, peak
    opposite: contract, decrease, diminish, dwindle, lessen, recede, wane

  2. to make greater in size, amount, or number

    "more layoffs will swell the ranks of the unemployed to unprecedented levels"

    similar: accelerate, add (to), aggrandize, amplify, augment, boost, build up, compound, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, hype, increase, multiply, pump up, raise, stoke, supersize, up
    related: boom, jump, skyrocket, spike, bump (up), ratchet (up), blow up, dilate, distend, inflate, draw out, elongate, flesh (out), lengthen, prolong, protract, stretch, develop, enhance, heighten, intensify, magnify, complement, supplement, beef (up), reinforce, strengthen, maximize, accumulate, amass, collect, follow up, parlay
    opposite: abate, decrease, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, lessen, lower, minify, reduce, subtract (from)
    near: abbreviate, abridge, curtail, shorten, compress, condense, constrict, contract, cut back, retrench

  3. to extend outward beyond a usual point

    "at that point the Congo River swells and forms Malebo Pool"

    similar: bag, balloon, beetle, belly, billow, bulge, bunch, jut, overhang, poke, pooch (chiefly dialect), pouch, pout, project, protrude, stand out, start, stick out
    related: dome, blow up, inflate, dilate, distend, expand, mushroom, snowball, elongate, extend, lengthen, stretch
    near: compress, condense, constrict, contract, shrink

Swell (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a part that sticks out from the general mass of something

    "the graceful swell of the bottle was meant to be evocative of the female figure"

    similar: bulge, bunch, convexity, jut, overhang, projection, protrusion, protuberance
    related: dome, blob, bump, dilatation, gibbosity, hump, knob, knot, knurl, lump, nub, obtrusion, puff, snag, swelling, block, piece, portion, section, enlargement, escalation, expansion, increase, hill, mound
    opposite: cavity, concave, concavity, dent, depression, dint, hollow, indent, indentation, indenture, pit, recess
    near: crater, hole, well, basin, bowl, dip, valley, furrow, groove, trench, trough, dimple, gouge, impression, notch, pocket

  2. a moving ridge on the surface of water

    "huge swells overwhelmed the tiny craft"

    similar: billow, surge, wave
    related: sea(s), surf, breaker, whitecap, comber, curl, riffle, ripple, wavelet, ground swell, roller, tidal wave, tsunami

Related Entry: Swell (up) (verb)

Swell (up) is a different word from Swell. The synonyms below are for swell (up), not for swell.

  1. as in increase, raise

    similar: aggrandize, amplify, augment, beef (up), boost, compound, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, increase, multiply, raise, infuse, inject, insert, interfuse, introduce, elongate, lengthen, prolong, protract, affix, attach, fasten, fix, graft, hitch, tag, tie, enhance, heighten, intensify, magnify, add, adjoin, annex, append, subjoin, tack (on), complement, supplement, supply, enforce, reinforce, strengthen, maximize
    opposite: abate, bate, deduct, knock off, remove, subtract, take off, detach, disconnect, disjoin, separate, unfasten, amputate, cut, excise, lop (off), sever, contract, decrease, diminish, lessen, lower, reduce, abbreviate, abridge, curtail, shorten, compress, condense, constrict, cut back, retrench

Related Entry: Ground swell (noun)

Ground swell is a different word from Swell. The synonyms below are for ground swell, not for swell.

  1. as in roller

    similar: roller, riffle, ripple, wavelet, tidal wave, tsunami, comber, curl, breaker, whitecap, surf, sea(s), billow, surge, swell, wave

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Swell

The most common words with a similar meaning to Swell:

Slang: boss, cool, dope, down, fantabulous, gone, hype, out-of-sight, phat, primo, radical, righteous
Chiefly British: bonny, topping, wizard
Chiefly dialect: pooch
A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo, brag, brave, bully, bumper, capital, choice, classic, corking, crackerjack, cracking, dandy, divine, dynamite, excellent, fab, fabulous, famous, fantastic, fine, first-class, first-rate, first-string, five-star, four-star, frontline, gangbusters, gilt-edged, grand, great, groovy, heavenly

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Swell

Words with the opposite meaning of Swell:

atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten, terrible, vile, wretched, dowdy, out, outmoded, styleless, unchic, uncool, unfashionable, unmodish, unstylish, contract, decrease, diminish, dwindle, lessen, recede, wane, abate, de-escalate, downsize, lower

Related Words for Swell

acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, good, OK, passable, satisfactory, tolerable, better, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, high-test, premium, select, special, superfine, classical, standard, traditional, downtown, edgy, funky, dapper, dashing, dressy, kicky, natty, rakish

Near Antonyms of Swell

bad, inferior, low-grade, substandard, unsatisfactory, mediocre, middling, second-class, second-rate, cheesy, tacky, unattractive, unbecoming, graceless, inelegant, tasteless, trashy, unhandsome, frowsy, sloppy, slovenly, unkempt, untidy, disheveled, messy, mussy, rumpled, wrinkled, shabby, sleazy

Word Forms of Swell

Inflections: swelled, swollen, swelling

Origin & Etymology of Swell

Middle English, from Old English swellan; akin to Old High German swellan to swell

First known use: before 12th centuryi

Words & Phrases Containing Swell

swell box, swell-front, groundswell

Frequently Asked Questions about Swell

What does "Swell" mean?

"Swell" means to expand (as in size, volume, or numbers) gradually beyond a normal or original limit. As an a verb, a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: to expand (as in size, volume, or numbers) gradually beyond a normal or original limit. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Swell"?

Other words for "Swell" include A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip and blue-ribbon. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Swell" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Swell"?

There are 310 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Swell". Common alternatives include A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo and bonny.

What is a slang word for "Swell"?

Slang words for "Swell" include boss, cool, dope, down, fantabulous and gone.

What is the opposite of "Swell"?

Antonyms of "Swell" include atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten and terrible. Near antonyms include bad, inferior, low-grade and substandard.

How do you use "Swell" in a sentence?

Examples of "Swell" in a sentence: "what a swell time we had at the country club dance"; "in its heyday as a summer resort, the town was known for its swanky hotels and swell restaurants"; "the club membership has really swelled in recent months".

Is "Swell" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Swell" can be used as a verb, a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Swell"?

"Swell" is pronounced /ˈswel/.