quell
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to suppress or beat down (rebellion, disorder, etc); subdue
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to overcome or allay
to quell pain
to quell grief
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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quellsimple
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quellssimple
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have quelledperfect
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has quelledperfect
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am quellingprogressive
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are quellingprogressive
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is quellingprogressive
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have been quellingperfect progressive
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has been quellingperfect progressive
Past
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quelledsimple
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had quelledperfect
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was quellingprogressive
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were quellingprogressive
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had been quellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of quell
First recorded before 900; Middle English quellen, Old English cwellan “to kill”; akin to Old Norse kvelja “to torment,” German quälen “to vex”; cf. kill 1
Explanation
Meaning to suppress or overcome, quell is what you have to do with nerves before a big test and fears before going skydiving. When it first came into existence, the verb quell actually meant “to murder.” That's a bit more serious than our modern definition, but you can use that old definition to help you imagine offing your worries or putting a permanent end to criticism. These days quell is often used to mean "pacify," as in the police quelling an angry mob or a mom quelling a kid's temper tantrum.
Vocabulary lists containing quell
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 2
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 7–11
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After all that happened in Australia, should the players not be taking it upon themselves to quell talk of a drinking culture and act like high-performance sportsmen?
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
President Trump on Monday aimed to quell a growing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that threatened to derail U.S. peace talks with Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
Paz has attempted in quell the protesters' fury by saying he will cut his own salary in half and give Indigenous groups and labor unions more of a say in policy-making.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Bigger picture, there are reasons to expect this time to be different than 2022, when the Fed started hiking rates from nearly zero to quell inflation near a 40-year high.
From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026
It waits around for their return, trying to quell the panic rising in it.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
