Word
quell
US/ˈkwɛɫ/
UK/kwˈɛl/
Definition
v. to stop a fight, a protest, or a feeling like fear or anger. You use this when someone in power takes action to make a situation calm again.
v. to suppress or put an end to a disturbance, rebellion, or strong emotion. Often used in political or historical contexts to describe the suppression of unrest.
Examples
“The government sent soldiers to quell the riots.”
“The leader's calm speech was intended to quell the growing fears among the citizens during the crisis.”
“Historians often debate whether the military intervention was necessary to quell the uprising or if a diplomatic approach would have been more effective in the long term.”
Examples
simple
“The government sent soldiers to quell the riots.”
contextual
“The leader's calm speech was intended to quell the growing fears among the citizens during the crisis.”
complex
“Historians often debate whether the military intervention was necessary to quell the uprising or if a diplomatic approach would have been more effective in the long term.”
Real-World Examples
“The Spanish government on Tuesday declassified intelligence reports about July's migrant surge into Ceuta in a bid to quell doubts about what it knew beforehand and Morocco's potential role.” “The storm had delayed kick-off by an hour, but it could do little to quell the fans, who banged their drums and sang their chants.” Etymology
From Middle English quellen, from Old English cwellan (“to kill”), from Proto-West Germanic kwalljan, from Proto-Germanic kwaljaną (“to make die; kill”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-. Cognate with German quälen (“to torment; agonise; smite”), Swedish kvälja (“to torment”), Icelandic kvelja (“to torture; torment”). Compare also Old Armenian կեղ (keł, “sore, ulcer”), Old Church Slavonic жаль (žalĭ, “pain”). See also kill, which may be its doublet.
From Middle English quelle (suggested by the verb quellen (“to well up; gush forth”)), from Old English cwylla, cwiella (“spring; source”), from Proto-West Germanic kwalljā (“spring, well”). Compare German Quelle.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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