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A1 verb #2,680 가장 일반적인 14분 분량

swell

At the A1 beginner level, the word swell is introduced primarily in its most literal and physical sense. When you are just starting to learn English, you need words to describe basic body parts, health issues, and simple physical changes in the world around you. Swell fits perfectly into this category. The core definition taught at this level is simply 'to get bigger'. Teachers usually introduce this word using highly visual examples. For instance, if you blow air into a balloon, the balloon gets bigger; it swells. If you fall down while playing a sport and hurt your arm, your arm might get bigger and turn red; it swells. This medical or first-aid context is extremely important for beginners because it is a practical, real-world situation where they might need to communicate pain or injury. At this level, grammar is kept very simple. Students learn to use swell in the present simple tense ('My foot swells when I walk too much') and the future simple tense ('If you touch that bee, your hand will swell'). The focus is on the intransitive use, meaning the subject is the thing that is getting bigger. We do not teach complex metaphorical uses or the transitive forms at A1. Instead, we focus on building a strong association between the word swell and the visual image of something expanding outward. Common vocabulary paired with swell at this level includes words like hurt, pain, big, water, balloon, foot, hand, and eye. By keeping the context restricted to basic physical realities, A1 learners can confidently add this useful verb to their growing vocabulary arsenal without getting confused by its more advanced nuances. They also learn the very common phrasal verb 'swell up', which is used almost identically to 'swell' in casual conversation about injuries. For example, 'My eye swelled up.' This gives them a natural-sounding phrase to use immediately.
Moving into the A2 elementary level, learners begin to expand their understanding of the word swell beyond just basic injuries and balloons. While the physical, medical context remains the most prominent use, A2 students are introduced to the word in the context of nature and weather. They learn that bodies of water can swell. For example, after a heavy rainstorm, a river or a lake will swell, meaning the water level rises and gets bigger. This connects the word to environmental vocabulary, which is a key topic at the A2 level. Grammar instruction also deepens. Students are expected to learn and use the past tense form, 'swelled'. They practice sentences like, 'Yesterday, I twisted my ankle and it swelled.' Furthermore, this is the perfect time to introduce the adjective form, 'swollen', which is derived from the past participle. A2 learners are taught the difference between the action ('My finger swelled') and the state of being ('My finger is swollen'). This distinction is crucial for accurate description. We also start introducing simple adverbs to modify the verb, such as 'quickly' or 'slowly'. 'The river swelled quickly in the rain.' This allows students to create more descriptive and detailed sentences. While metaphorical uses are still mostly avoided, the groundwork is laid by showing that swell isn't just for body parts. The vocabulary network around swell grows to include words like rain, river, water, storm, quickly, slowly, yesterday, and doctor. By the end of the A2 level, a student should feel comfortable describing a past injury using the correct tense and adjective form, and be able to understand a basic weather report warning about a river that might swell due to heavy rainfall.
At the B1 intermediate level, the usage of swell broadens significantly, moving into more abstract and metaphorical territories. Students at this stage have a solid grasp of the physical meanings (injuries, rising rivers) and the basic grammar (swelled, swollen). Now, they are introduced to the idea that numbers, amounts, and populations can swell. This is highly relevant for B1 topics like society, cities, and basic economics. For example, a student might read an article about how the population of a tourist town swells during the summer months. Here, swell means to increase significantly in number. This adds a dynamic, visual flair to their vocabulary, giving them an alternative to simpler words like 'increase' or 'grow'. Additionally, B1 learners encounter the emotional metaphors associated with swell. They learn phrases like 'swell with pride' or 'swell with anger'. This is a major step in language acquisition, as it connects a physical sensation (the chest expanding) with an emotional state. Grammar instruction at this level focuses on these new collocations and prepositions. They learn that you swell 'with' an emotion, and a crowd swells 'to' a certain number. We also introduce the concept of sound swelling, such as music getting louder in a movie. This connects the word to arts and entertainment topics. By exploring these diverse contexts—demographics, emotions, and sound—B1 students realize the true versatility of the word. They practice writing short essays or giving presentations where they must use swell in these non-physical contexts, demonstrating their transition from basic, literal English to more expressive and idiomatic language use. The word becomes a tool for painting pictures with words, rather than just stating facts.
In the B2 upper-intermediate level, the focus shifts to nuance, register, and complex collocations. B2 learners already know the multiple meanings of swell (physical, numerical, emotional, auditory). The goal now is to use the word with the precision and natural flow of a native speaker. Students delve into more sophisticated texts, such as news reports, literature, and academic articles, where swell is used to describe complex phenomena. For instance, they might read about how public support for a political candidate swelled after a debate, or how inflation caused prices to swell. These contexts require an understanding of how swell interacts with abstract nouns like 'support', 'opposition', 'prices', or 'ranks'. We also explore the subtle differences between swell and its close synonyms like 'expand', 'surge', 'mushroom', and 'balloon'. A B2 student must know why a crowd 'swells' but a business 'expands'. Grammar instruction focuses on advanced verb tenses, such as the present perfect continuous ('His ankle has been swelling for hours') and the past perfect ('The river had already swelled beyond its banks before the evacuation order came'). Furthermore, students learn to recognize and use the noun form of swell, particularly in the context of the ocean (a ground swell) or a general increase (a swell of support). They also encounter older or more colloquial uses, such as the outdated slang 'swell' meaning excellent ('That's a swell idea!'), though they are taught to recognize it rather than use it actively. By mastering these subtleties, B2 learners can employ the word swell to add dramatic effect, precise description, and sophisticated flair to their spoken and written English, ensuring they communicate effectively in both professional and academic environments.
At the C1 advanced level, learners are expected to handle the word swell with complete mastery, understanding its deepest etymological roots, its most poetic literary uses, and its highly specific technical applications. C1 students encounter swell in complex, authentic materials like classic literature, advanced scientific journals, and high-level economic analyses. In literature, they analyze how authors use swell to create atmosphere and tension. For example, a sentence like 'A dark swell of resentment grew within the community' uses the word to evoke a powerful, almost physical sense of impending trouble. Students learn to appreciate and replicate this kind of evocative writing. In technical contexts, they might encounter terms like 'shrink-swell capacity' in geology (referring to soil expanding and contracting) or specific medical jargon related to cellular swelling. The focus is on recognizing these highly specialized uses without being intimidated. Furthermore, C1 learners refine their understanding of idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs. They explore the subtle difference between 'swell up' (purely physical) and 'swell out' (like a sail catching the wind). They also practice using swell in complex syntactic structures, such as inversion or cleft sentences, to emphasize the action. For example, 'Not only did the crowd swell, but it also became violent.' At this level, vocabulary acquisition is about depth rather than breadth. Students are not just learning what the word means; they are analyzing how it functions as a stylistic tool. They debate the connotations of swell versus surge or billow, demonstrating a profound sensitivity to the subtle shades of meaning that distinguish fluent, advanced English from merely correct English.
For the C2 proficient learner, the word swell is fully integrated into their linguistic repertoire, functioning identically to how a highly educated native speaker would use it. At this pinnacle of language learning, there are no new definitions or basic grammar rules to learn regarding this word. Instead, the focus is on absolute precision, stylistic elegance, and the ability to play with the word's meaning in creative and original ways. C2 users can effortlessly deploy swell in spontaneous, high-level discourse, whether they are giving an impromptu speech on macroeconomic trends ('The national debt continues to swell unabated') or writing a creative fiction piece ('The symphony swelled, a tidal wave of brass and strings that washed over the audience'). They possess an intuitive understanding of the word's prosody and rhythm within a sentence, knowing exactly when 'swell' provides the perfect phonetic punch compared to a softer word like 'increase'. They are also fully aware of the historical and cultural baggage of the word, understanding, for instance, the mid-20th-century American slang usage ('Gee, that's swell!') and how to use it ironically or nostalgically in modern conversation. Furthermore, C2 learners can invent their own metaphors using swell, confident that their usage will be understood and appreciated for its linguistic creativity. They might describe a 'swell of digital information' or a 'swelling undercurrent of societal change'. At this level, the word is a flexible, powerful instrument in their communicative toolkit, demonstrating their complete mastery over the English language's nuances, idioms, and expressive capabilities.
연습하기 예시 노트와 팁

swell 30초 만에

  • Swell means to get bigger, thicker, or rounder, often because of an injury or extra liquid.
  • It is an irregular verb. The past tense is swelled, and the adjective form is usually swollen.
  • You can use it for body parts, rivers, balloons, music volume, and strong emotions like pride.
  • Do not confuse it with shrink, which is the exact opposite meaning (to get smaller).

The verb swell is a fundamental English word that describes the process of something becoming larger, rounder, or thicker in size. This transformation usually happens because of an injury, extra liquid, or an increase in the number or volume of something. When we look at the physical world, swelling is everywhere. If you twist your ankle while running, the tissues will quickly swell as fluid rushes to the injured area to protect it. This is a natural biological response. Beyond biology, the concept of swelling applies to many other domains. For instance, a river can swell after days of heavy rain, expanding beyond its banks and causing floods. In a more abstract sense, a person's heart can swell with pride when watching their child graduate, meaning the feeling of pride grows intensely large. The word is versatile and essential for learners at all levels, starting from A1 where it is primarily used to describe physical injuries or balloons getting bigger.

Medical Context
Used when a body part increases in size due to injury or illness.

If a bee stings you, your skin will swell.

Understanding the mechanics of the word swell requires looking at its grammatical behavior. It is an irregular verb in some dialects, with the past tense being swelled and the past participle being swollen or swelled. In modern English, swollen is overwhelmingly preferred as an adjective, while swelled is used as the past tense verb. For example, 'His eye swelled shut' uses the past tense, whereas 'He has a swollen eye' uses the adjective form. This distinction is crucial for mastering the word.

Nature Context
Used when bodies of water or weather phenomena increase in volume.

The dark clouds began to swell before the storm.

Let us delve deeper into the metaphorical uses. When a sound swells, it gradually becomes louder. You might hear this in an orchestra when the music builds up to a climax. The violins and cellos play louder, and the music swells. Similarly, crowd noise can swell in a stadium when a team scores a goal. The volume and intensity grow rapidly. This auditory swelling is a beautiful way to describe sound dynamics.

Emotional Context
Used when feelings become overwhelmingly strong.

Her heart began to swell with immense joy.

In economic terms, numbers and figures can also swell. A company's profits might swell during the holiday season due to increased sales. The population of a city can swell during a major festival as tourists pour in. In these cases, swell is synonymous with increase, multiply, or expand. However, swell carries a more visual and dynamic connotation than simply saying 'increase'. It paints a picture of something bulging or stretching its limits.

The city population will swell during the summer.

To summarize this comprehensive overview, swell is a dynamic verb that captures the essence of growth, expansion, and enlargement across physical, emotional, auditory, and numerical contexts. Whether it is a sprained wrist, a rising river, a booming symphony, or a growing bank account, the word swell vividly conveys the idea of getting bigger and fuller.

Watch the balloon swell as you blow air into it.

Using the word swell correctly involves understanding its syntax, collocations, and the specific contexts in which it thrives. As an intransitive verb, swell does not require a direct object. You do not usually 'swell something'; rather, 'something swells'. For example, you say 'My foot swelled', not 'I swelled my foot'. This is a common point of confusion for beginners. However, there are rare transitive uses, such as 'The rain swelled the river', meaning the rain caused the river to swell. But for A1 learners, focusing on the intransitive use is the most practical approach. Let us explore the various ways to construct sentences with this versatile verb.

Grammar Rule 1
Swell is mostly intransitive. The subject is the thing getting bigger.

The wood will swell if it gets wet.

When talking about physical injuries, swell is often followed by the adverb 'up'. The phrasal verb 'swell up' is extremely common in everyday spoken English. If you hit your thumb with a hammer, you would say, 'My thumb is starting to swell up.' The addition of 'up' emphasizes the outward expansion and makes the description sound more natural in casual conversation. Another common preposition used with swell is 'with'. This is typically used for emotional or metaphorical swelling, such as 'swell with pride', 'swell with anger', or 'swell with tears'.

Phrasal Verb
Swell up is used to emphasize physical enlargement.

His injured knee began to swell up immediately.

In terms of verb tenses, swell behaves predictably in the present and continuous tenses. 'It swells', 'It is swelling'. The past tense is 'swelled'. The past participle can be 'swelled' or 'swollen', but 'swollen' is much more common, especially when used as an adjective. 'My ankle is swollen' is the standard way to describe the state of having a swelled ankle. You will rarely hear 'My ankle is swelled'. This distinction between the action (swelled) and the resulting state (swollen) is a key milestone in mastering the word.

Past Participle
Use swollen as an adjective to describe the state after swelling.

The river swelled beyond its banks last night.

Let us look at some adverbs that frequently collocate with swell. Things can swell 'rapidly', 'slowly', 'enormously', or 'dangerously'. For example, 'The crowd swelled rapidly as the concert time approached.' These adverbs help paint a clearer picture of the speed and scale of the expansion. When writing or speaking, adding these descriptive words elevates your language and provides more context to the listener or reader.

The music will swell slowly during the movie scene.

Finally, it is important to note the noun form of swell. While this guide focuses on the verb, knowing the noun helps solidify the concept. A swell can be a slow, regular movement of the sea in rolling waves that do not break. Surfers look for a good swell. By connecting the verb 'to swell' (to grow larger) with the noun 'a swell' (a growing wave), learners can create a strong mental image that anchors the meaning of the word deeply in their vocabulary.

The sponge will swell when you put it in water.

The word swell is ubiquitous in the English language, appearing in a wide variety of contexts ranging from casual daily conversations to formal medical diagnoses, and from poetic literature to economic reports. For an A1 learner, the most immediate and common place you will hear this word is in the context of health and minor injuries. If you visit a doctor or a school nurse because you fell down, they will likely check to see if the injured area is going to swell. You will hear phrases like, 'Put some ice on it so it doesn't swell.' This medical or first-aid context is the most practical and frequent environment for the word.

Doctor Office
Doctors use it to describe inflammation and fluid buildup.

The doctor said my arm will swell a little bit.

Another common place you will encounter swell is in weather reports and nature documentaries. Meteorologists often talk about rivers that swell after heavy spring rains or melting snow. They might issue warnings that a local stream is expected to swell and potentially cause flooding. In documentaries about the ocean, narrators describe how the tide swells or how waves swell before crashing onto the shore. This natural context highlights the word's connection to water and fluid dynamics, which is a core part of its etymological history.

Weather Forecasts
Used to warn about rising water levels in rivers and lakes.

The heavy rain caused the lake to swell.

In the realm of arts and entertainment, swell is frequently used to describe sound and music. If you read a review of a classical music concert or a movie soundtrack, the critic might describe how the orchestral score swells during a particularly emotional scene. Audio engineers and musicians use the term to describe a gradual increase in volume. You might even see it written in sheet music as a directive for the musicians to play louder. This auditory context shows the word's versatility beyond just physical size.

Music Reviews
Describes the increase in volume and emotional intensity of sound.

The choir's voices began to swell in the empty church.

You will also hear swell in news reports concerning crowds, populations, and economics. A news anchor might report that the crowd outside a stadium swelled to over fifty thousand people. An economist might discuss how inflation causes prices to swell, or how a successful marketing campaign caused a company's profits to swell. In these contexts, swell is used as a more descriptive and impactful alternative to words like 'increase' or 'grow', adding a sense of physical pressure or bursting capacity to the numbers being discussed.

The number of fans will swell before the game starts.

Finally, in literature and storytelling, swell is a favorite verb for authors describing intense emotions. Characters in books often have hearts that swell with pride, eyes that swell with tears, or chests that swell with courage. This metaphorical use is deeply embedded in English literary traditions. By understanding all these different environments—medical, natural, musical, economic, and literary—learners can fully appreciate the richness of the word swell and recognize it instantly wherever they hear it.

Her eyes began to swell with happy tears.

When learning the word swell, students often encounter a few specific stumbling blocks. The most prevalent mistake is confusing the verb forms, particularly the past tense and the past participle. Many learners incorrectly use 'swelled' when they should use the adjective form 'swollen'. For example, a student might say, 'My eye is swelled,' instead of the correct 'My eye is swollen.' While 'swelled' is technically the past participle, modern English strongly prefers 'swollen' as the adjective to describe the state of being enlarged. Understanding this distinction is critical for sounding natural.

Form Confusion
Mixing up the past tense verb (swelled) and the adjective (swollen).

Incorrect: My hand is swelled. Correct: My hand is swollen.

Another frequent error involves transitivity. As mentioned earlier, swell is primarily an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take a direct object. Learners sometimes try to use it transitively in contexts where it doesn't fit. For instance, a learner might say, 'The bee swelled my arm,' trying to express that the bee sting caused the swelling. While native speakers might understand this, it sounds awkward. The correct phrasing would be, 'The bee stung me, and my arm swelled,' or 'The bee sting made my arm swell.' Keeping the subject as the thing that is actually getting bigger is the safest rule to follow.

Transitivity Error
Using swell with a direct object incorrectly.

Incorrect: I swelled the balloon. Correct: I blew up the balloon and it began to swell.

Preposition usage also causes headaches for learners. When using swell metaphorically with emotions, the correct preposition is almost always 'with'. You 'swell with pride' or 'swell with anger'. A common mistake is using 'of' or 'from', resulting in awkward phrases like 'swell of pride' or 'swell from happiness'. Memorizing the collocation 'swell with [emotion]' will instantly fix this common error and make your English sound much more fluent and idiomatic.

Preposition Error
Using the wrong preposition after swell when describing emotions.

Incorrect: He swelled of pride. Correct: He began to swell with pride.

Additionally, learners sometimes confuse swell with words that have similar meanings but different applications, such as grow, expand, or inflate. While a business can grow, we usually say a crowd swells. While a balloon inflates (action of putting air in), it swells (the visual result of getting bigger). Using 'expand' for a sprained ankle ('My ankle expanded') sounds highly unnatural and robotic. Swell is the specific, correct word for biological inflammation and organic, bulging growth.

Incorrect: My twisted ankle expanded. Correct: My twisted ankle began to swell.

Finally, a minor but notable mistake is related to pronunciation. Some learners struggle with the initial consonant cluster /sw/. They might insert a vowel sound, saying 'suh-well', or mispronounce the 'w', making it sound like 'smell' or 'spell'. Practicing the smooth transition from the unvoiced /s/ to the voiced /w/ is important for clear communication. By being aware of these common pitfalls—verb forms, transitivity, prepositions, word choice, and pronunciation—learners can confidently and accurately use the word swell in any situation.

Make sure to pronounce the W clearly when you say swell.

Expanding your vocabulary means understanding not just a single word, but the network of words related to it. For the verb swell, there are several synonyms and related terms, each with its own slight nuance in meaning and usage. The most basic synonym is 'grow'. While grow is a general term for getting bigger, swell implies a more specific type of growth: one that is often rapid, outward, and sometimes abnormal or temporary. A child grows over years, but an injured ankle swells in minutes. Understanding this difference in speed and context is key to choosing the right word.

Expand
To become larger in size, volume, or quantity, often used in formal or scientific contexts.

Metals expand when heated, but injured tissues swell.

Another closely related word is 'expand'. Expand is often used in scientific, mathematical, or business contexts. A company expands its operations; a gas expands to fill a container. Swell, on the other hand, is more organic and visual. It suggests a bulging or stretching. You wouldn't typically say a company 'swells its operations', though you might say its workforce swelled (meaning the number of people increased dramatically). The word 'inflate' is also similar, but it specifically refers to filling something with air or gas. A balloon inflates, which causes it to swell.

Inflate
To fill something with air or gas so that it becomes larger.

When you inflate the tire, it will swell to its proper shape.

When dealing with medical contexts, 'inflame' is a related concept. Inflammation is the medical condition that causes swelling. While they are related, they are not perfect synonyms. Inflame refers to the biological process involving heat, redness, and pain, whereas swell specifically refers to the physical increase in size. You might hear a doctor say, 'The tissue is inflamed, which is causing it to swell.' In casual conversation, 'puff up' is a fantastic, informal synonym for swell. If you cry a lot, your eyes might puff up. This carries the exact same meaning as swell but sounds much more conversational.

Puff Up
An informal phrasal verb meaning to swell, often used for faces or eyes.

His face began to puff up, or swell, from the allergy.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have antonyms. The most direct opposite of swell is 'shrink'. If you put ice on a swollen ankle, the cold will cause the blood vessels to constrict, and the swelling will go down; the tissue will shrink back to its normal size. Another antonym is 'contract', which is the formal opposite of expand. 'Deflate' is the opposite of inflate, meaning to let the air out, causing the object to lose its swollen shape. Knowing these opposites helps reinforce the meaning of swell by providing a clear contrast.

The ice will help the tissue shrink and stop it from continuing to swell.

By studying these synonyms (grow, expand, inflate, puff up) and antonyms (shrink, contract, deflate), learners build a robust vocabulary web. Instead of just knowing one word, they understand a whole family of concepts related to size, volume, and physical change. This allows for much more precise and expressive communication, enabling the learner to choose the exact word that fits the specific situation, whether they are in a hospital, a business meeting, or just chatting with friends.

The numbers will swell during the day and shrink at night.

How Formal Is It?

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수준별 예문

1

My foot will swell if I walk too much.

foot gets bigger

Future simple tense with 'will'.

2

The balloon began to swell with air.

balloon gets bigger

Infinitive form after 'began to'.

3

If a bee stings you, your skin will swell.

skin gets bigger

First conditional sentence.

4

His eye swelled up after he hit his head.

eye got bigger

Past tense with the phrasal verb 'up'.

5

Put ice on it so it does not swell.

stop it from getting big

Negative present simple.

6

The sponge will swell when it gets wet.

sponge gets bigger in water

Present simple in a time clause.

7

Does your hand swell when it is hot?

hand gets big in heat

Present simple question.

8

I watched the dough swell in the oven.

bread gets bigger

Bare infinitive after the verb 'watch'.

1

The river swelled after three days of heavy rain.

river water went up

Past tense used for a completed action.

2

Her ankle is swollen because she fell yesterday.

ankle is big now

Using 'swollen' as an adjective.

3

The wood on the door swelled from the humidity.

wood got thicker

Past tense explaining a cause.

4

The crowd swelled as the concert time got closer.

more people came

Used metaphorically for an increase in people.

5

If you cry a lot, your eyes will swell up.

eyes get puffy

First conditional with phrasal verb.

6

The music swelled and filled the entire room.

music got louder

Used for an increase in sound volume.

7

He has a swollen lip from the fight.

lip is big

Adjective modifying a noun directly.

8

The dark clouds swelled in the sky before the storm.

clouds got bigger

Describing natural phenomena.

1

The city's population swells every summer due to tourism.

number of people increases

Present simple for a recurring event.

2

His heart swelled with pride when his daughter graduated.

felt very proud

Metaphorical use with the preposition 'with'.

3

The company's profits swelled after the successful marketing campaign.

money increased a lot

Used in a business context for financial growth.

4

She watched the sail swell as the wind caught it.

sail filled with air

Describing physical expansion due to air pressure.

5

The ranks of the protesters swelled throughout the afternoon.

more protesters joined

Collocation 'ranks swelled' meaning a group grew larger.

6

I need to buy new shoes because my feet have swollen.

feet became bigger

Present perfect tense indicating a past action with a present result.

7

The orchestra's sound swelled to a magnificent climax.

music reached its loudest point

Describing the dynamic range of music.

8

A feeling of panic swelled inside him as he realized he was lost.

panic grew stronger

Metaphorical use describing the growth of an emotion.

1

The national debt has continued to swell despite government promises.

debt keeps growing

Present perfect continuous indicating an ongoing process.

2

Support for the new environmental policy is swelling among young voters.

support is increasing

Present continuous for a current trend.

3

The insect bite caused a massive swelling on his forearm.

a large bump appeared

Using 'swelling' as a noun.

4

As the chorus joined in, the anthem swelled majestically.

song became grander and louder

Adverb 'majestically' modifying the verb.

5

The river had already swelled dangerously close to the bridge by morning.

river was very high

Past perfect tense setting the scene before another past action.

6

Her eyes were swollen shut from the severe allergic reaction.

eyes closed because they were so big

Collocation 'swollen shut' indicating extreme physical change.

7

The author used the swelling storm as a metaphor for the character's anger.

growing storm represented anger

Using 'swelling' as an adjective in a literary context.

8

Membership in the club swelled to over five hundred within a month.

number of members reached 500

Using 'to' to indicate the final number reached.

1

The ground swell of public opinion eventually forced the mayor to resign.

growing public pressure

Using the noun phrase 'ground swell' metaphorically.

2

The cello section introduced a melancholic theme that slowly swelled into a tragic symphony.

music developed into something larger

Complex sentence structure describing musical progression.

3

Inflationary pressures caused the cost of living to swell disproportionately for the working class.

costs increased unfairly

Academic/economic vocabulary integration.

4

He gazed at the swelling waves, mesmerized by the ocean's raw power.

growing waves

Participial adjective 'swelling' modifying a noun.

5

A swell of indignation rose in her chest as she listened to the blatant lies.

feeling of anger grew

Using 'a swell of' as a noun phrase for emotion.

6

The narrative tension swells inexorably until the final, shocking revelation.

tension builds unstoppably

Advanced adverb 'inexorably' modifying the verb.

7

The city's infrastructure groaned under the weight of its swelling population.

growing number of residents

Personification ('groaned') combined with the participial adjective.

8

The budget for the project swelled far beyond the initial estimates due to unforeseen complications.

budget increased too much

Prepositional phrase 'far beyond' emphasizing the extent of the growth.

1

The rhetoric of the demagogue caused the ranks of his zealots to swell exponentially.

followers increased rapidly

Highly formal vocabulary ('demagogue', 'zealots', 'exponentially').

2

There was a palpable swell of anticipation in the auditorium as the lights dimmed.

noticeable feeling of excitement

Sophisticated noun usage with the adjective 'palpable'.

3

The novel's prose swells with a lyrical intensity that is rarely seen in contemporary fiction.

writing is full of emotion

Literary criticism context, using swell metaphorically for writing style.

4

The underlying macroeconomic factors caused the housing bubble to swell to bursting point.

market grew until it crashed

Economic metaphor 'bursting point'.

5

She managed to suppress the swelling tide of panic that threatened to overwhelm her rationality.

growing feeling of fear

Complex metaphor 'swelling tide of panic'.

6

The symphony's final movement is characterized by a series of majestic, brass-led swells.

increases in musical volume

Using the plural noun 'swells' in a musicology context.

7

His ego swelled commensurately with his sudden, unexpected rise to stardom.

arrogance grew equally

Advanced adverb 'commensurately' indicating proportional growth.

8

The geopolitical crisis caused the number of refugees to swell, precipitating a humanitarian disaster.

refugee numbers increased, causing disaster

Complex sentence with a participial phrase ('precipitating...').

동의어

expand enlarge grow inflate distend balloon

반의어

shrink contract decrease

자주 쓰는 조합

swell up
swell with pride
eyes swell
ankle swells
river swells
crowd swells
music swells
numbers swell
profits swell
ranks swell

자주 쓰는 구문

swell up like a balloon

swell to bursting point

a ground swell of support

make something swell

begin to swell

cause swelling

reduce the swelling

swollen shut

swollen glands

swollen ankle

자주 혼동되는 단어

swell vs shrink

swell vs expand

swell vs inflate

관용어 및 표현

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혼동하기 쉬운

swell vs

swell vs

swell vs

swell vs

swell vs

문장 패턴

사용법

note

While 'swelled' is technically an acceptable past participle, 'swollen' is preferred by almost all native speakers when used as an adjective. Stick to 'swollen' to sound natural.

자주 하는 실수
  • Using 'swelled' as an adjective instead of 'swollen' (e.g., saying 'my swelled foot' instead of 'my swollen foot').
  • Using swell with a direct object (e.g., saying 'I swelled the balloon' instead of 'The balloon swelled').
  • Using the wrong preposition with emotions (e.g., saying 'swell of pride' instead of 'swell with pride').
  • Confusing swell with expand in scientific contexts (e.g., saying 'metal swells when hot' instead of 'metal expands').
  • Mispronouncing the word by dropping the 'w' sound, making it sound like 'sell'.

팁

Use Swollen as an Adjective

Always use 'swollen' when you want to describe a noun. Say 'a swollen ankle' or 'my eye is swollen'. Do not say 'a swelled ankle'.

Swell Up for Injuries

When talking to friends about a minor injury, use the phrasal verb 'swell up'. It sounds much more natural. 'I hit my head and it swelled up.'

Swell WITH Emotions

When using swell metaphorically for feelings, always use the preposition 'with'. You swell WITH pride, anger, or joy. Do not use 'of' or 'from'.

The W Sound

Make sure to pronounce the 'w' sound clearly. Your lips should form a tight circle. If you don't, it might sound like 'sell' or 'smell'.

Medical Context

Swell is one of the most important words to know for a doctor's visit. If you are in pain, telling the doctor 'it is swelling' helps them diagnose you.

Swell and Shrink

Memorize swell and shrink as a pair. They are exact opposites. Ice makes tissue shrink; heat or injury makes it swell.

Double L

Remember that swell ends with a double 'L'. When adding endings, keep the double L: swelling, swelled. The only exception is the adjective swollen.

Rivers and Rain

Use swell to describe bodies of water after a storm. 'The river swelled' is a perfect, descriptive sentence for a weather report.

Old Slang

If you hear someone say 'You look swell', they mean you look great. This is old-fashioned slang, but it's good to understand it when watching movies.

Descriptive Writing

Instead of writing 'the music got louder', write 'the music swelled'. It makes your writing much more poetic and interesting to read.

암기하기

어원

Old English

문화적 맥락

In 1950s America, 'swell' meant 'great' or 'excellent' (e.g., 'That's a swell car!'). It is now outdated but recognized.

실생활에서 연습하기

실제 사용 상황

대화 시작하기

"Have you ever had a twisted ankle that started to swell?"

"What do you do to stop a bee sting from swelling?"

"Have you ever seen a river swell and flood a road?"

"What makes your heart swell with pride?"

"Do you like movies where the music swells during sad scenes?"

일기 주제

Write about a time you got hurt and a part of your body swelled up.

Describe a storm you witnessed where the clouds swelled and the rain poured.

Write about an accomplishment that made you swell with pride.

Imagine you are a balloon. Describe how it feels to swell with air.

Describe a concert where the sound of the crowd swelled.

자주 묻는 질문

10 질문

The past tense verb is 'swelled'. For example, 'Yesterday, my foot swelled.' However, 'swollen' is the past participle and is used as an adjective. For example, 'My foot is swollen.' Do not use 'swollen' as the past tense verb.

No, that sounds very unnatural. Swell is mostly an intransitive verb, meaning it doesn't take a direct object. You should say, 'I blew up the balloon and it swelled.' The balloon is the thing doing the swelling.

Expand is a more formal or scientific word used for things like metal, gas, or businesses. Swell is more organic and visual, used for body parts, water, and emotions. You expand a business, but your ankle swells.

'Swell up' means the exact same thing as 'swell', but it is a phrasal verb used mostly in informal, spoken English to describe physical injuries. 'My knee swelled up' sounds very natural in daily conversation.

In a medical context, the most common way to stop swelling is to apply ice or a cold pack to the injured area. The cold makes the blood vessels shrink, which reduces the swelling. Elevating the injured part also helps.

Yes. A 'swell' can refer to a slow, regular movement of waves in the ocean. Surfers look for a good swell. It can also refer to a gradual increase in something, like a 'swell of support'.

This is a metaphorical expression. It means you feel so much pride that it feels like your chest is physically expanding. It is a very common way to describe a strong, positive emotion.

No, not at all. It is a completely normal, everyday word. It is used by doctors, news anchors, and children. There is nothing offensive about the word swell.

In the 1930s to 1950s, 'swell' was popular slang meaning 'excellent' or 'great'. It is like saying 'That's cool' or 'That's awesome' today. People don't really use it that way anymore unless they are joking.

The most common opposite of swell is 'shrink', which means to get smaller. Another opposite is 'deflate', which means to lose air and get smaller, like a balloon. 'Contract' is also an opposite, usually paired with 'expand'.

셀프 테스트 180 질문

/ 180 correct

Perfect score!

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