swell

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1

Definition

when something grows bigger, often becoming rounder in shape, or when its size, amount, or volume increases. A body part can swell after an injury; a crowd can swell as more people arrive; a river can swell after heavy rain; a feeling can swell inside you.

Example

Femi's ankle began to swell badly after he twisted it during the football match.

body part + swell after injury

The crowd outside the stadium swelled to nearly twenty thousand by evening.

crowd/group swells as numbers increase

Common collocations

swell up
swell with pride/joy/anger
swell the ranks
swollen ankle/finger/knee
swell to + number

Synonyms

expand
more general — can mean increase in any dimension or area, not just roundness
balloon
more dramatic and sudden; suggests filling with air or gas
bulge
focuses on outward curving in one spot rather than overall size gain

Antonyms

shrink
to become smaller in size
deflate
to lose air or gas and become smaller; opposite of balloon

Grammar Patterns

swell (up)

swell + noun phrase

swell with + noun

Usage Note

Intransitive use is far more common. The transitive form (swell + direct object) is used mainly in formal or business contexts, e.g. 'swell the ranks' or 'swell the numbers'. The past participle 'swollen' is common as an adjective describing a body part that has increased in size.

Common Mistakes

My foot swelled up after the bug bit.

My foot swelled up after the bug bite.

'swell' is the verb; the past tense is 'swelled', not 'swell'.

2.verbintransitiveB2

Definition

when music or a sound swells, it gradually becomes louder and fuller, often creating an intense or dramatic effect

Example

The orchestra's music swelled as the violins entered with the main melody.

orchestral music swells

Jenna felt a chill run down her spine as the choir's voices swelled inside the old cathedral.

voices swell in a space

Common collocations

music swells
sound swells
voices swell
swell to a peak
swell and fade

Synonyms

grow louder
more literal and less dramatic; no musical connotation
crescendo
technical music term; can also be used figuratively for any rising intensity

Antonyms

fade
to become gradually quieter
die away
to become quieter until you cannot hear the sound anymore

Grammar Patterns

swell (in volume)

music/sound swells

Usage Note

Often used in music reviews and descriptions of live performances. The opposite movement is 'fade' or 'die away'. Frequently paired with prepositions like 'to' or 'toward' to indicate a peak.

Phrasal verbs

swell up

phrasal verb

to become larger or rounder, especially suddenly, usually because of an injury, infection, or allergic reaction

Indra's eyes swelled up after she touched the plant, and she needed medicine right away.

The little boy's knee swelled up where he had fallen on the concrete path.

1.nounB2

Definition

the long, smooth up-and-down motion of ocean water far from shore, where the surface rises and falls gently in unbroken waves. Unlike regular waves, a swell travels steadily for long distances across the sea.

Example

The fishing boat rose and fell gently with the ocean swell throughout the night.

boat rises and falls with the swell

Surfers looked for the perfect swell that would carry them all the way to the shore.

Common collocations

ocean swell
heavy swell
gentle swell
the swell of the sea
rise and fall with the swell

Synonyms

surge
a sudden strong forward movement of water, less regular than a swell
undulation
technical term for any wavy up-and-down motion; less common in everyday speech

Grammar Patterns

the swell

a heavy swell

the swell of the sea/ocean

Usage Note

Distinguish from 'wave': a swell is a long, smooth undulation of the water surface, while a wave is a shorter, steeper movement that usually breaks. Swells travel long distances across the open ocean; waves form closer to shore.

Common Mistakes

The boat moved up and down with the waves' (when you mean the gentle open-sea movement).

The boat moved up and down with the swell.

'Swell' describes the smoother, longer motion of the open sea, while 'waves' are steeper and break.

2.nounB2

Definition

a gradual build-up in how loud a piece of music gets, often followed by a gradual decrease. This creates a dramatic wave-like effect in the sound.

Example

A great swell of organ music filled the church as the wedding ceremony began.

swell of organ music fills a space

The conductor raised his hands, and a powerful swell rose from the string section.

Common collocations

swell of music
swell of sound
dramatic swell
powerful swell

Synonyms

crescendo
technical music term for a gradual increase in loudness; stronger and more precise than 'swell'
surge
more sudden and powerful than a musical swell; often used outside of music

Antonyms

diminuendo
technical music term for a gradual decrease in loudness

Grammar Patterns

a swell of + music/sound

the swell of + instrument

Usage Note

Often used as 'a swell of + music/sound', this sense is closely related to the verb sense 2. Unlike the verb, which describes the action, the noun refers to the sound event itself.

3.nounC1

Definition

an old-fashioned, informal word for a person who is rich, fashionable, and from a high social class. Used especially in early 20th-century British English.

Example

The hotel lobby was full of swells in expensive suits and elegant dresses.

swells dressed elegantly

In the old novel, the young swell spends his family fortune on parties and travel.

young swell in a novel

Common collocations

young swell
fashionable swell

Synonyms

dandy
a man who pays great attention to his appearance and clothes; similar historical flavour
socialite
a person who attends fashionable social events; still in modern use

Grammar Patterns

a swell

the swells

Usage Note

This sense is dated and rarely used today outside of historical fiction or humorous references. Learners should recognise it in older texts but avoid using it actively in modern conversation.

Word family

swollen
adjectiveB1
swelling
nounB2
swelling
adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe something getting bigger, but they differ in cause and feel. 'Swell' suggests an increase from within — a body part swelling from an injury, a river from rain, or a heart with emotion. 'Expand' is broader and more neutral: a company can expand its business, or metal expands when heated; it does not suggest roundness or internal pressure. 'Inflate' specifically means filling with air or gas, like inflating a tyre or a balloon; it can also mean making something seem more important than it really is ('an inflated sense of self-worth'). 'Balloon' is more dramatic and visual — a sudden, noticeable increase, like a sail ballooning in the wind or costs ballooning out of control. For a body part after an injury, use 'swell'; for a business growing, use 'expand'; for prices rising fast, use 'balloon'; for a tyre, use 'inflate'.

swell ↗expand ↗inflate ↗balloon ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

ankle
crowd
river
heart
ranks
music
sounds

Adverbs

Phrases

swell with pride
swell to bursting
swell of emotion
a heavy swell

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishGermanicEnglish

The word 'swell' comes from Old English 'swellan', meaning 'to grow bigger or puff up'. It is related to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as Old High German 'swellan' and Old Norse 'svella'. The sense of 'excellent' or 'fashionable' emerged in American English in the early 1800s, first as a noun for a stylish person and later as an adjective for anything good. The music-related meaning, describing a gradual increase in volume, appeared in the 1700s.

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swell

swell — verb

1. when something grows bigger, often becoming rounder in shape, or when its size,

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. when music or a sound swells, it gradually becomes louder and fuller, often crea

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

swell up

swell — noun

1. the long, smooth up-and-down motion of ocean water far from shore, where the sur

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. a gradual build-up in how loud a piece of music gets, often followed by a gradua

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

3. an old-fashioned, informal word for a person who is rich, fashionable, and from

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

swell — adjective

1. very good, excellent, or enjoyable. An informal, positive way to say that someth

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

swell — adverb

1. in a very good or satisfactory manner. Used informally to describe doing somethi

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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