QUELL
What does "QUELL" mean?
To suppress, subdue, or put an end to, especially fear, rebellion, or unrest.
Meanings
- To put down or suppress by force. Troops were sent to quell the riot.
- To calm, quiet, or allay a feeling. She tried to quell her rising panic.
Did you know?
- To 'quell' a fear sounds gentle today, but its Old English ancestor 'cwellan' meant to kill outright - and it shares a bloodline with the modern verb 'kill'.
Word origin
From Old English 'cwellan' meaning 'to kill, murder, execute'; the meaning weakened over time from literal slaying to 'subdue' or 'suppress'. It shares a root with the related word 'kill'.
Remember it
QUELL rhymes with 'quiet the bell' - it silences whatever's ringing too loud.
A little poem
He pressed his palm flat to the rising crowd-
and to his own chest, quelling both aloud.
couplet
What it teaches
To quell a feeling and to kill it share an old root, and the line between them is thinner than we admit.
Quick facts
What does QUELL mean?
To suppress, subdue, or put an end to, especially fear, rebellion, or unrest.
Is QUELL a valid word?
Yes — QUELL is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is QUELL?
QUELL has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does QUELL come from?
From Old English 'cwellan' meaning 'to kill, murder, execute'; the meaning weakened over time from literal slaying to 'subdue' or 'suppress'. It shares a root with the related word 'kill'.
What can QUELL teach us?
To quell a feeling and to kill it share an old root, and the line between them is thinner than we admit.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.