dwell

Verb
US[dwel]/dwɛl/1 syllable
Synonyms: broodconsistlielie inpopulateliveinhabitharp

Open English WordNet

Verb (5)dwelt, dwells, dwelled, dwelling

  1. think moodily or anxiously about somethingSynonyms: broodMore general worry, care
  2. originate (in)“The problems dwell in the social injustices in this country”Synonyms: consistlielie inMore general exist, be
  3. be an inhabitant of or reside in“People lived in Africa millions of years ago”“The people inhabited the islands that are now deserted”“this kind of fish dwells near the bottom of the ocean”“deer are populating the woods”Synonyms: populateliveinhabitMore general beMore specific reside, camp, occupy, nest, board, lodge, cohabit, neighbor, people, tenant +1 more
  4. exist or be situated within“Strange notions inhabited her mind”Synonyms: inhabitMore general exist, be
  5. come back to“Don't dwell on the past”“She is always harping on the same old things”Synonyms: harpMore general repeat, reiterate

Related words habitation noun, indweller noun, inhabitation noun

Word of the day · Nov 2About this word
perniciousadjective

What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz

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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Dwell intransitive verb [past tense & past participle Dwelled, usually contracted into Dwelt (…); present participle & verbal noun Dwelling.]

Origin: OE. dwellen, dwelien, to err, linger, AS. dwellan to deceive, hinder, delay, dwelian to err; akin to Icel. dvelja to delay, tarry, Sw. dväljas to dwell, Dan. dvæle to linger, and to E. dull. See Dull, and cf. Dwale.

1. To delay; to linger. obsolete

2. To abide; to remain; to continue.

I 'll rather dwell in my necessity.— William Shakespeare
Thy soul was like a star and dwelt apart.— William Wordsworth

3. To abide as a permanent resident, or for a time; to live in a place; to reside.

The parish in which I was born, dwell, and have possessions.— Henry Peacham
The poor man dwells in a humble cottage near the hall where the lord of the domain resides.— Charles John Smith

To dwell in, to abide in (a place); hence, to depend on. “My hopes in heaven to dwell.” William Shakespeare — To dwell on or To dwell upon, to continue long on or in; to remain absorbed with; to stick to; to make much of; as, to dwell upon a subject; a singer dwells on a note.

They stand at a distance, dwelling on his looks and language, fixed in amazement.— Joseph Stevens Buckminster

Synonyms: To inhabit; live; abide; sojourn; reside; continue; stay; rest.

Dwell transitive verb

To inhabit. rare John Milton

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54

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