Swollen - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT swollen /ˈswoʊlən/ /ˈswʌʊlən/ IPA guide

When something's swollen, it's puffed up, rounded, and misshapen. If you've sprained your ankle, it's likely to be swollen and may look more like a grapefruit than the body part you know and love.

When something swells up, it's swollen, and that can be anything from knees and glands to pregnant bellies. You can also use swollen more poetically: you can describe someone with a big ego as having a swollen head. A stormy ocean with big, angry waves is a swollen sea. And a state with out-of-control spending has a swollen budget, inflated by special projects and other expenses that there’s not enough money to pay for.

Definitions of swollen

adjective abnormally enlarged, bloated, or expanded
adjective characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance “so swollen by victory that he was unfit for normal duty” “growing ever more swollen-headed and arbitrary” synonyms: conceited, egotistic, egotistical, self-conceited, swollen-headed, vain proud feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride

Pronunciation US /ˈswoʊlən/ UK /ˈswʌʊlən/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘swollen'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family

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