English adjective: swell | |||
1. | swell very good | ||
Samples | He did a bully job. A neat sports car. Had a great time at the party. You look simply smashing. | ||
Synonyms | bang-up, bully, corking, cracking, dandy, great, groovy, keen, neat, nifty, not bad, peachy, slap-up, smashing | ||
Similar | good | ||
Domain usage | colloquialism | ||
Antonyms | bad | ||
English noun: swell | |||
1. | swell (event) the undulating movement of the surface of the open sea | ||
Synonyms | crestless wave | ||
Broader (hypernym) | moving ridge, wave | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | ground swell, heavy swell | ||
2. | swell (object) a rounded elevation (especially one on an ocean floor) | ||
Broader (hypernym) | elevation, natural elevation | ||
3. | swell (attribute) a crescendo followed by a decrescendo | ||
Broader (hypernym) | crescendo | ||
4. | swell (person) a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance | ||
Synonyms | beau, clotheshorse, dandy, dude, fashion plate, fop, gallant, sheik | ||
Broader (hypernym) | adult male, man | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | cockscomb, coxcomb, macaroni | ||
Instance hyponym | Beau Brummell, Brummell, George Bryan Brummell | ||
English verb: swell | |||
1. | swell (change) increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity | ||
Samples | The music swelled to a crescendo. | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s. Something is ----ing PP | ||
Broader (hypernym) | increase | ||
2. | swell (social) become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger | ||
Samples | The mother was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son. | ||
Synonyms | puff up | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s | ||
Broader (hypernym) | act, behave, do | ||
3. | swell (change) expand abnormally | ||
Samples | The bellies of the starving children are swelling. | ||
Examples | Did his feet swell? | ||
Synonyms | intumesce, swell up, tumefy, tumesce | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s | ||
Broader (hypernym) | expand | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | belly, belly out, blister, bloat, blow up, distend, puff, puff out, puff up, vesicate | ||
4. | swell (stative) come up (as of feelings and thoughts, or other ephemeral things) | ||
Samples | Strong emotions welled up. Smoke swelled from it. | ||
Synonyms | well up | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s. Something is ----ing PP | ||
Broader (hypernym) | arise, develop, grow, originate, rise, spring up, uprise | ||
5. | swell (motion) come up, as of a liquid | ||
Samples | Tears well in her eyes. The currents well up. | ||
Synonyms | well | ||
Pattern of use | Something is ----ing PP | ||
Broader (hypernym) | come up, rise, rise up, surface | ||
6. | swell (change) cause to become swollen | ||
Samples | The water swells the wood. | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | grow | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | bloat, bulge, bulk, tumefy | ||
Cause | intumesce, swell, swell up, tumefy, tumesce | ||