swelled Meaning, Definition & Usage

1. verb increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity
   swell.
   
   • The music swelled to a crescendo
2. verb become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger
   puff up; swell.
   
   • The mother was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son
3. verb expand abnormally
   swell up; swell; intumesce; tumefy; tumesce.
   
   • The bellies of the starving children are swelling
4. verb come up (as of feelings and thoughts, or other ephemeral things)
   swell; well up.
   
   • Strong emotions welled up
   • Smoke swelled from it
5. verb come up, as of a liquid
   swell; well.
   
   • Tears well in her eyes
   • the currents well up
6. verb cause to become swollen
   swell.
   
   • The water swells the wood
7. adjective satellite feeling self-importance
   big; vainglorious.
   
   • too big for his britches
   • had a swelled head
   • he was swelled with pride

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