ENGLISH
REFERENCE

swelled

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈswɛɫd// UK //swˈɛld// swelled

v. became larger or rounder than normal. You use this when a part of your body grows because of an injury, or when the amount of something increases.

v. past tense and past participle of 'swell'; refers to an increase in size, volume, or intensity. Often describes physiological inflammation or a numerical increase in a group or collection.


SIMPLE

His ankle swelled up after he tripped.

CONTEXTUAL

The crowd swelled to over five thousand people as the main speaker finally took the stage.

COMPLEX

The river swelled dangerously after three days of relentless rain, eventually breaching its banks and flooding the lower pastures of the valley.

Synonyms
Usage

Often paired with the particle 'up' when describing physical inflammation. The past participle 'swollen' is more common than 'swelled' when used as an adjective.

Pitfall

His eyes were swelled from crying.His eyes were swollen from crying.While 'swelled' is a valid past participle for the action, 'swollen' is the standard form used as an adjective to describe the resulting state.

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